Ever since he returned from his rib injury rehab on Aug. 16, Triston Casas has been consistent at the plate.
After three months on the sidelines, he collected five hits, all singles, and a walk in his first four games back with the Boston Red Sox. On Aug. 21, Casas unlocked his home run swing.
The slugger mashed a second-deck homer off Ronel Blanco in the first inning to lift the Red Sox to an early 3-0 lead over the Astros. The Sox went on to win, 6-5, their first win against Houston all season. Casas played a significant part in it.
Along with his homer, the 24-year-old collected another hit, two walks and batted in three runs. He's 7-for-20 with a towering long ball and three walks since his return last week. Casas struggled against Yusei Kikuchi — the former Blue Jay struck him out looking three times — but he bounced back in a big way against Blanco.
The return of Triston Casas' home run swing bodes well for struggling Red Sox
Triston Casas homers and drives in 3 as the @RedSox even the series in Houston. pic.twitter.com/SKoBjHAup7
— MLB (@MLB) August 21, 2024
Casas was also part of an excellent defensive play with Ceddanne Rafaela. Yainer Diaz hit a bouncing grounder toward the third base side, and Rafaela ran to meet it. He faced Rafael Devers at third base as he fielded the ball, but pulled off a jump throw to get the ball to Casas, who had to hit the deck to secure the out.
Casas finding his home run swing and laying out for a play is promising for the first baseman's recovery. During his rehab stint in Worcester, Casas reported pain when he swings, but he plans to play through it. Clearly, it hasn't affected his performance too much.
The Red Sox have slumped after the All-Star break, particularly due to rough pitching throughout the staff. Casas' bat will be a key addition to the lineup as Boston pushes for a playoff spot, and he proved it with his second-deck bomb last night.
Maybe all those imaginary swings in the dugout paid off.