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12 hours ago
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The Boston Red Sox have managed a winning record after a dramatic offseason, but more change is coming.
First baseman Triston Casas had to be carried off the field on a stretcher in the second inning of Friday’s matchup against the Minnesota Twins, after he tapped first base and took a hard fall while running out a ground ball.
“Upon falling, Casas immediately grabbed his left knee while Boston’s trainers rushed out to help him before eventually being stretchered off the field,” according to Thomas Gamba-Ellis of the New York Post. “After the game, manager Alex Cora told reporters that Casas suffered a ‘significant knee injury’ and that he was still at a local Boston hospital.”
Even without more details or a clear timetable on recovery, it’s clear that the Red Sox will have to come up with a new solution at first base. And, when evaluating the options for WEEI, Rob Bradford noted that the team could opt for a surprising shift for franchise slugger Rafael Devers, even though he’s never played the position before.
“But considering his experience on the other infield’s corner spot, integrating into the new position might be a very real solution,” Bradford wrote. “Devers wants to play in the field, and this is the field.”
Devers noted some displeasure with moving off of third base to accommodate new teammate Alex Bregman in the preseason. Shifting him to first base could help him engage on defense and log some more productive at-bats. It would also help the team find a spot for slugger Masataka Yoshida, who is recovering from his own injury.
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“The switch would also solve the quandary when it comes to what to do with Masa Yoshida, who still can’t play the field due to a shoulder injury but is able to serve as a designated hitter,” Bradford added.
The Red Sox have a few different options but watching their first baseman go down on Friday night was brutal nonetheless.
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Peter Chawaga is a veteran journalist covering Major League Baseball for The Sporting News. His MLB reporting has included feature interviews with commissioner Rob Manfred and Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz, salary analysis, player rankings and more. He has covered baseball for Forbes, Yardbarker, Pitcher List, Athlon and other outlets.
With over ten years of newsroom experience, he has previously covered finance, technology, arts, and culture for newspapers, magazines, and websites nationwide. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in English and journalism.
English (US)