After a long winter without baseball, some players can take a few weeks to months to get ready for the upcoming season.
A few performances at Boston Red Sox spring training have caught fans' eyes, and not in a good way. Spring training and Grapefruit League games are the time for players to restore their fitness and make adjustments wherever necessary to improve their game. Sometimes, it takes all of camp and even a few weeks of the regular season to get back on track.
Here are three Red Sox players who have posted concerning spring training numbers, but we think they will quickly find their way when the regular season officially opens on March 27.
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Liam Hendriks
Liam Hendriks spent quite a bit more than just winter without playing baseball. The closer underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023, shortly after he completed treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. If he can get through those treatments back-to-back, he can surely push through some spring training woes.
Hendriks has let up six runs on 12 hits in five innings of work this spring, but he hasn't faced major league bats routinely since 2023. Recent reports have stated that Aroldis Chapman will be Boston's most likely Opening Day closer, which gives Hendriks less pressure to get back on track
Triston Casas
Triston Casas has developed a bit of a reputation as a slow starter, which has continued into spring training 2025. Casas' spring was interrupted by a bout of the stomach bug that tore through Sox camp — not only could it possibly have adversely affected his strength and performance, but he also didn't appear in a game from March 2-11.
Casas is slashing .167/.306/.400 in 12 Grapefruit League appearances. Two of his five hits have been homers, though, so he can still slug when he gets the bat on the ball. Casas will still be Boston's everyday first baseman, and there are still many spring training and exhibition games to be played to give him the reps he needs to be ready to go on Opening Day.
Connor Wong
Connor Wong posted a breakout season for the Red Sox last year, during which he played 126 games and slashed .280/.333/.425 as one of Boston's most reliable righty bats. His success hasn't carried over into spring training, and he's batting .111/.227/.444 with 10 strikeouts.
Wong has played a rather small sample size of games, though. He's also been shelved due to illness this spring and has been limited to just eight games. In those eight appearances, he has two homers, which is encouraging, but Sox fans would like to see Wong get back to his 2024 self at the plate with more reps.