The Boston Red Sox's offseason acquisition of catcher-turned-first baseman Willson Contreras quickly led some fans to the conclusion that Triston Casas won't be ready for Opening Day (and that his more distant future with Boston could be in question, as well).
Casas officially confirmed that he'll be sidelined beyond March 26 — when the Red Sox will open the season against the Cincinnati Reds. Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reported that Casas will not play in any Grapefruit League games this spring, although he hoped to.
Casas is still recovering from a patellar tendon rupture that he sustained while running out a ground ball on May 2. The injury required surgery to repair, which carries a typical recovery time of around a year. Soon after Red Sox players reported to spring training, the Red Sox shared that Casas was moving well, but there's still recovery work to be done before he can see game action.
In Healey's report, he notes that Casas still hasn't practiced baserunning and sliding yet. Since he hurt his leg on the base paths in the first place, this will be a critical step in his recovery and eventual return to the Red Sox.
Triston Casas will not play in any Grapefruit League games this spring, still no date for expected 2026 Red Sox debut
Many Red Sox fans would like to see Casas back in games as soon as possible because Boston's lineup could use a slugger with his ceiling after Rafafel Devers' departure via trade. If Casas lives up to the hype he had while he was a top prospect and into his rookie season, he could be a 30-40 homer hitter. Staying healthy is seemingly his biggest obstacle.
Since Casas has been out of action for 10 months and he won't get any reps in the Grapefruit League, he'll probably need a full minor league rehab assignment, or close to it, before he's ready to return to the big leagues. However, since Boston's roster is expected to be so crowded going into the 2026 season (mostly because of its five outfielders, including Masataka Yoshida), it could opt to keep Casas in the minor leagues for as long as possible. He still has three minor league options on his contract, so the Red Sox wouldn't be risking or sacrificing anything by sending him to Portland or Worcester.
Casas can take his time recovering, not just because he's experienced a few severe injuries since his big league debut, but because the Sox's roster construction doesn't leave much room for him. Yoshida, Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony or Contreras will likely take up the designated hitter spot most days, and Casas' (limited) body of work in 2025 doesn't warrant giving him reps above any of them.
Despite that, there are still plenty of Red Sox fans who see potential in Casas, and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow claims to feel the same. But it will take a bit longer for him to get back to showing his best work while he continues his recovery.