Willson Contreras will suit up as the Boston Red Sox's starting first baseman on Opening Day. An offseason trade brought the veteran catcher-turned-first baseman to Boston to bring some consistency, which the Red Sox have lacked, to the position.
But eventually, Triston Casas will re-enter the mix, and he'll need a job. The former top prospect missed the majority of the 2025 season after he ruptured a patellar tendon while running out a ground ball. The injury required an intensive surgery to repair, which often comes with a recovery time of 12 months.
Ian Browne of MLB.com reported that Casas "likely won't be a full-go until May 1 or so" while his recovery continues. Casas' injury occurred on May 2, 2025, so Browne's report aligns with the typical recovery time for patellar tendon repair surgery.
Browne expects that the Red Sox will play Casas as the designated hitter when he returns, which is to be expected with Contreras at the corner. However, Boston also said that Contreras would split his playing time between first base and DH, which could complicate things with Casas back in the fold.
The Red Sox also have to find a spot for Masataka Yoshida, and given the logjam in the outfield, it probably won't be there. Yoshida appeared as Boston's DH 44 times last season and only took the outfield six times.
So where does Casas fit in all of this? There are a few options, and none of them are perfect.
How will Triston Casas fit into Red Sox 2026 plan after injury timeline reveal?
It's possible the Red Sox keep Casas in Worcester after he's fully recovered. He still has minor league options on his contract and his body of work in 2025, although small, shows he could use the time to ramp up to the big league level. Browne expects he'll need a 20-game rehab assignment in Triple-A before he's ready to play and it may be easiest to keep him there until the Red Sox need him.
Casas could also come back as the full-time DH and play first base when Contreras needs a break or if he falls injured. One of Boston's alleged top offseason priorities was adding home run power, which it never did. When healthy and hot, Casas has 30-homer potential, and he could bring that jolt of power the Red Sox desperately need.
But Yoshida also needs the DH spot, since there's no way he's playing the outfield with Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafeala, Jarren Duran and Roman Anthony as competition for those spots. Casas hasn't been able to stick as an everyday player because of his injury history, so the Red Sox could swap him and Yoshida as the DH. Yoshida has also dealt with frequent injuries in his career and he's never posted a full season of work in MLB — Boston could end up needing both players at some point this season.
The Red Sox in early February salary dumped Jordan Hicks in a trade with the Chicago White Sox and a similar move could be coming for Yoshida. While there has been little trade hype around him this offseason, Boston has tried to move him before (in a trade that also involved Casas, funny enough). The offseason isn't over yet, and there's still time for the Red Sox to make another massive move. They could also hold off on such a drastic decision until Casas is healthy and ready to return to the big leagues.
Despite his offensive potential and the Red Sox's need for power, Casas' future in Boston is anything but certain at this point. The Red Sox still have months before he's fully recovered, leaving them plenty of time to find a solution to yet another logjam on their roster. Hopefully Casas recovers well enough to make an impact for Boston — his home run power could go a long way in this lineup.