PITTSBURGH — Triston Casas underwent an MRI on his left rib cage strain Monday in Boston. And after further imaging, the expectation remains that he will be out for a while.
Though Monday’s results have not been disclosed by the club, the Red Sox and Casas weren’t optimistic regarding the first baseman’s health status. Manager Alex Cora was frank during his Sunday morning news conference, expressing serious concern regarding Casas’s availability and return timeline.
Casas was forthcoming, too, saying that he felt discomfort breathing and “was in a lot of pain.”
“I’m a large guy swinging the bat really fast, and I’m really strong,” said the 6-foot-5-inch, 244-pound Casas prior to Sunday’s series finale against the Pirates. “So stuff like this is bound to happen. When you start dealing with bone and cartilage, it could get really sensitive, especially when you’re creating a lot of torque in your swing. So this is something that I’ve been thinking about for the last 12 hours about how it could have been avoided or how I could continue stronger in those areas. I feel like I was doing everything that I could, so I’m ultimately at peace.”
The Sox will likely stand pat and not seek outside help, at least for now. A decent number of players around the league have May 1 opt-outs, and that could be a time when the Red Sox pursue some of their needs.
The Sox used Pablo Reyes at first Sunday. Bobby Dalbec could get some time there, as could Rob Refsnyder, who has been working at the position since the start of spring.
O’Neill set to return
Tyler O’Neill felt it was important to be around his teammates during the first leg of the team’s road trip in Pittsburgh. Although he was on the seven-day injured list with a concussion, it was important for the Red Sox outfielder to stay on routine.
And O’Neill had a good reason.
He was the club’s best player prior to hitting the IL, batting .313/.459/.750 with a team-leading seven homers.
The Red Sox will reinstate O’Neill Tuesday ahead of the team’s series against the Guardians. Rafael Devers should be ready to play after missing the last four games with a bone bruise in his left knee.
“I look forward to getting back out there,” O’Neill said Sunday afternoon following the Sox’ series sweep of the Pirates. “I passed all my tests recently. I feel like I’m in a good spot. I’ve been getting out there the past couple of days, and I’m feeling pretty good for the most part. I’m just a little more tired than usual. Probably because I haven’t been doing too much activity the last four days.”
Cora relished the idea of having O’Neill sandwiched between Devers and Casas in the Sox’ lineup. Nevertheless, having at least two of his best hitters back instead of missing all three, which was the case Sunday, provides some positive news.
“We don’t want to be out of the lineup,” added O’Neill. “We want to be in there every day, helping these guys win. … These guys really held it down [during the Pittsburgh series]. You really saw the offense come alive. A lot of hits out there, drawing our walks, doing a lot of good things. I Just want to get in there and help bolster the lineup. Make it a little stronger, if I can just continue to do my part. We’ll go from there.”
Pitching matchups
Tanner Houck will take the mound against Ben Lively on Tuesday. The Sox starter for Wednesday is still to be determined while Carlos Carrasco takes the hill for Cleveland. Brayan Bello and Triston McKenzie will go toe-to-toe Thursday in the series finale. The Guardians are 16-6, boasting the best record in the majors.