Boston Red Sox fans had already made their peace with the fact that they wouldn't see Triston Casas again in 2025. Now, they must brace for the possibility that they could be without their first baseman for even longer.
The ruptured left patellar tendon Casas suffered on May 3 means surgery and months of rehab, bringing his season to an abrupt and disappointing end just a few weeks after it began. He has a long road to recovery ahead of him — so long, in fact, that manager Alex Cora cast doubt on Casas' availability at the start of spring training in 2026.
“From everything I’m hearing, there’s a chance, but not 100%,” Cora said Wednesday (via Greg Dudek of NESN).
The injury is a brutal hit to Casas, who also missed four months with torn rib cartilage in 2024, not to mention the Red Sox, who now have to platoon Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro at first base until they (hopefully) arrive at a more permanent solution.
Red Sox Injury Update: Romy Gonzalez, Kutter Crawford, Richard Fitts
Boston is without half of its first base platoon for the time being, with Gonzales listed as day-to-day with back tightness. He exited Wednesday's game against the Texas Rangers after colliding with Rangers first baseman Josh Smith, but Cora said Thursday that Gonzalez will be ready to return by the weekend.
In other Red Sox injury news, Kutter Crawford threw a live bullpen session on Tuesday and is expected to do so again on Friday. The right-hander opened the 2025 season on the injured list with right patellar soreness, and he is continuing to work his way back from a knee injury he suffered in the middle of last season. Crawford is not expected to return to the Red Sox until mid-June, at the earliest.
Meanwhile, fellow right-hander Richard Fitts threw his first bullpen session since his injury shutdown on Monday and is scheduled to throw another on Thursday. Fitts, who landed on the 15-day IL with a right mild pectoral strain on April 13, could be cleared to face live hitters soon if Thursday's bullpen session goes well. His expected return timeline is late May to early June.
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