Triston

Casas

Casas’ home run was his 13th of the year. He hit a solo shot off Shane Baz in the first inning. Casas needs to stay healthy, but it’s not difficult to imagine a promising 2025 campaign in the middle of a budding Red Sox lineup.

Casas had home runs on his first three at-bats of the game, including two three-run shots off starter Pablo Lopez. The 24-year-old now has 12 home runs and 29 RBI in just 54 games this season after battling back from a rib injury that sapped most of his season. With the Red Sox likely promoting a few of their young hitting prospects next season to give this lineup more depth, Casas could be in for a great 2025 if he can remain healthy.

The rib injury probably has something to do with it, but Casas has a 34% strikeout rate to go along with considerably weaker exit velocity numbers than last year. While he still seems like a good bet going forward, he should be forced to earn a starting job next spring; this season has been discouraging enough that there’s no reason to promise him anything.

The home run was his ninth in 52 games this season and just his first in September. Like much of the Red Sox lineup, Casas has been ice cold in September, coming into the day hitting .200 with 17 strikeouts in 12 games. The 24-year-old has plenty of talent, but it’s a bit concerning that the Red Sox lifted him for a pinch hitter when a left-handed reliever came in. If he’s going to be in a strict platoon, his at-bats will be cut in a way that dampens his fantasy value.

Casas started 17 games in a row, including four against lefties, after coming off the injured list last month, but he’s since been held out of the lineup versus southpaws five times in two weeks. Connor Wong is playing first base today.

With the Red Sox facing left-hander Cade Povich, it will be Connor Wong starting at first base with Danny Jansen catching. Tyler O’Neill will also slide to DH with Rob Refsnyder moving to right field. At some point, the Red Sox are going to need to trust Casas against lefties. Perhaps this is because he’s still not 100 percent after his rib injury, but the Red Sox are quickly falling out of the playoff race and should be fielding their best lineup each and every game. It’s hard to believe Casas doesn’t belong in that case.

The 24-year-old is now 12-for-35 (.343) in nine games since coming off the IL with two home runs, five runs scored and five RBI; however, he has also struck out 15 times over that span, so his timing may not be 100 percent back. Still, Casas is a difference-making bat down the stretch in fantasy leagues.

Casas has really played well in August, but he did not have any success against Zac Gallen and the Arizona bullpen. Even with the punchouts the 24-year-old is hitting .266/.360/.495, but that line didn’t help him at all Saturday. These things happen.

Casas is 7-for-20 with three walks in five games since returning from his rib injury. His lone out tonight came because he called timeout twice in an at-bat, apparently because he was feeling some pain in his rib area after a foul ball.

At long last, the quirky 24-year-old slugger has rejoined the Red Sox’ lineup. Casas has been shelved since late April due to torn cartilage in his ribs. Before he landed on the injured list, Casas was hitting .244/.344/.513 with six long balls and 10 RBI in his first 22 games. If he’s languishing on the waiver wire in any shallow leagues, now is the time to correct that.