Triston Casas has suffered another injury setback.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters in Houston that the first baseman has been shut down after experiencing soreness in his ribs while hitting.
According to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, the club later elaborated by saying Casas has a strained left intercostal, which is a muscle connected to the ribs. He will be shut down from hitting activities until the soreness goes away.
“We have to slow it down,” Cora told reporters. “Nothing related to the knee. He’s doing well, but this happened swinging, so we have to shut him down swinging-wise for I don’t know how long.”
Casas is already on the 10-day injured list recovering from the ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee that ended his season in early May last year. The oft-injured first baseman wasn’t expected back for at least another month or longer, and now this latest setback could potentially muddy his recovery timeline even further.
Prior to the devastating knee injury, Casas also suffered a torn cartilage in the left side of his rib cage during the 2024 season. That injury sidelined Casas for four months, and the 6-foot-4 slugger has dealt with numerous other injury issues throughout his professional career dating back to his days in the minor leagues.
Sandoval to start rehab assignment
According to MassLive’s Christopher Smith, Red Sox left-hander Patrick Sandoval will begin a rehab assignment on Sunday with the Portland Sea Dogs. Sandoval will reportedly throw four innings in the Sea Dogs’ road game against the Somerset Patriots.
Sandoval missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery and opened the year on the 15-day injured list after the Red Sox opted to build him up slowly throughout the spring. The 29-year-old is in the second year of the two-year, $18.25 million deal he signed ahead of the 2025 season, and with no minor league options remaining he will presumably have to be added to the big league roster once he’s ready to return, either as the No. 5 starter or in a long relief role.
Rule 5 pick returns
The Toronto Blue Jays announced Wednesday that they have returned former Rule 5 pick Angel Bastardo to the Red Sox.
The right-hander was poached from the Red Sox in December of 2024 after he underwent Tommy John surgery and was left exposed in the Rule 5 Draft. He spent all of last season rehabbing with the Blue Jays but once healthy would have still had to spend all of this season on Toronto’s big league roster. He was designated for assignment after failing to make the Blue Jays’ Opening Day roster and now returns to the Red Sox minor league system.
The Red Sox may get another former Rule 5 pick back soon too. Wednesday the Chicago White Sox announced they have DFA’d right-hander Jedixson Paez, who they plucked from the Red Sox system in last December’s Rule 5 Draft, to clear a roster spot for veteran righty Lucas Sims. Paez had never pitched above High-A at the time he was selected, and in three big league outings for the White Sox he allowed six earned runs in three innings.
Paez could still be claimed off waivers, but if not the 22-year-old might find himself back in the Red Sox system as well.