It's been less than 11 months since Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas ruptured his left patellar tendon in a game, but it sounds like Casas is in the best shape of his life right now. As if Casas' latest, characteristically hilarious post to Instagram wasn't a strong enough indicator that he's feeling like himself again, WEEI's Rob Bradford supplied some more obvious intel this week.
Appearing on the "Monster Territory" podcast, Bradford was asked, based on his own observations at camp, which Red Sox player is in the best shape of their life. Bradford said it is Casas, describing him as a "much more nimble ... better-conditioned guy."
Casas spent the winter in Fort Myers so that he could put all his energies and focus into rehab, and it appears to have paid off. We also know from The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey and MassLive's Chris Cotillo that Casas will remain in Fort Myers at the start of the 2026 MLB season, which began for Boston with a victory on Thursday.
@bradfo tells us which Red Sox player is in the best shape of their life pic.twitter.com/Jxxk5rWzgA
— Monster Territory (@MTerritoryPod_) March 25, 2026
Triston Casas being in amazing shape gives Red Sox fans complicated feelings
Casas impressed fans and media alike this offseason when he gave some candid and humble remarks about his own reputation. Essentially, Casas said that he isn't overly bothered by the flak he receives from fans for his eccentricity especially because he realizes that pro athletes who aren't readily healthy/productive aren't doing themselves any favors with fans. He came across as determined to get his body right and prove to the Red Sox fan base that he can help this team win. And Bradford's latest update indicates that Casas has indeed sculpted his body over the past several months.
The big question is, where will Casas fit into the Red Sox's depth chart once he is ready to go? That's a question, of course, for manager Alex Cora. Boston went out this season and acquired Willson Contreras to start at first base. And if you're envisioning Casas slotting into the designated hitter role, think again. There's already a long line of Red Sox bats in place for those DH starts, a consequence of Boston's enduring outfield logjam.
Roman Anthony and Jarren Duran will be DH'ing plenty to allow all of Boston's starting outfielders to play, and then there's Masataka Yoshida and his much-deserved at-bats to consider. If you're confused as to where and how Cora will possibly incorporate Casas, you're not alone.
All reports suggest that Casas, Cora, and the Red Sox are approaching this situation on a week-by-week basis. This likely stems from Casas' ever-evolving health status as much as it does from the fact that Cora and the club simply don't have a plan for what to do with Casas once he's cleared.
This isn't necessarily a knock on Cora or Boston's leadership. Casas — or rather, Casas' body that's continually failed him over the past couple of years — gave the Red Sox no choice but to operate as if he won't be available or able to be relied upon moving forward. Boston did what it had to do. The Red Sox went out and got Contreras, and they've moved along with the assumption that anything from Casas in 2026 will be unexpected.
Casas is doing everything in his power to change his narrative, and Boston will have to change its plans about the season if and when he does start knocking on the door. For now, it's in Cora's best interest to not deal with that situation until it truly arrives.