The Boston Red Sox's presence in the American League wild card standings has diminished since they went into the All-Star break at a season-best 11 games over .500.
Boston's pitching staff has shown signs of wear and the bats haven't always been there to compensate. But the Sox have reinforcements coming to both the offense and the bullpen that will provide a huge boost during a playoff push.
Triston Casas is in the throes of his rehab assignment with the WooSox, and he's beginning to swing like his old self. The first baseman is batting .308/.438/.462 with two doubles and three RBI in his first four games with Worcester. He also laid out for a defensive play at first, reminiscent of some of the plays he's made in the big leagues.
Despite the quality of his play, Casas shared a concerning prognosis with reporters. He still feels pain when he makes contact with a baseball, and even likened it to the feeling of being stabbed. He later clarified that he's experiencing a slight uptick in pain that he felt before his injury, but there's nothing that can be done to limit it. He plans to play through the discomfort.
The Red Sox expect Triston Casas, Chris Martin and Liam Hendriks to return to roster soon
Guess all those imaginary at bats paid off 😏 pic.twitter.com/TGhDdYbADk
— Worcester Red Sox (@WooSox) August 3, 2024
The Red Sox reported a shocking turn of events in Chris Martin's recovery. The veteran reliever has been on the injured list for almost a month with elbow inflammation — a frequently season-ending diagnosis. Martin threw a bullpen on Aug. 3 and reported feeling so good he may not need a rehab assignment.
Alex Cora said Boston would see how Martin felt before its season-opening matchup with the Royals on Aug. 5. If Martin feels well enough, he could be back in the Red Sox lineup by Aug. 7 to help finish the series with Kansas City.
Boston also got good news on a hurler who's been on the shelf all season. Liam Hendriks accompanied the Red Sox on their recent trip to Texas to visit the surgeon who performed his Tommy John surgery last season, and the closer has been formally cleared to throw live batting practice.
Hendriks will throw his first batting practice on Aug. 6 in Kansas City, and he'll likely require three sessions before being sent on a rehab assignment. He hopes to pitch for the Red Sox before the end of August — he and Martin will give the bullpen the boost it needs to push through the wild card race.