The Boston Red Sox have been missing their powerful first baseman, Triston Casas, since he exited their April 20 game due to a rib injury.
Casas was swiftly moved to the 60-day injured list, indicating a prolonged absence. He was later diagnosed with torn cartilage around his ribcage. Casas, 24, likened the injury to experiencing “a car crash within [his] body.”
In recent comments to reporters, Casas shed more light on what medical professionals told him about his injury, raising concerns within MLB.
“It was inevitable,” Casas said. “The doctor compared it to a pitcher needing Tommy John surgery – it was just a matter of time before it happened.”
According to the doctors, the combination of Casas’ size and the rapid rotation of his body during swings led to the cartilage tear. If ribcage injuries for batters become as prevalent as Tommy John surgeries for pitchers, MLB could face significant challenges.
Triston Casas’ remarks about his rib injury should be a wake-up call for MLB. Eno Sarris of The Athletic recently covered Casas’ injury and others related to high-speed swings. His report explores new statistics on bat speed and the perspectives of players and coaches on bat speed training, which we will not delve into here.
In recent years, exit velocity and bat speed have become key metrics for hitters, highly valued by both organizations and players. This trend suggests a potential surge in injuries among hitters, reminiscent of the recent debates over the increase in Tommy John surgeries and the emphasis on pitchers throwing harder.
This Triston Casas’ quote from @enosarris‘s piece on the bat speed rollout is really good.
I hadn’t thought about the stress implications of training hitters from a speed-of-movement perspective.
Rib/Obliques are the new UCLs for hitters?! I hope not. 😬 pic.twitter.com/lKBZOIW7JL
— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) May 13, 2024
Triston Casas’ bat speed is just shy of the top 10 in the league, while Wilyer Abreu and Tyler O’Neill are among the top 20 for short and quick swings—an ideal mix for success, albeit not without its risks.
This season, rib and oblique injuries are becoming more common, and Casas is a notable example of potential future trends. Many of MLB’s top stars, including Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Julio Rodríguez, also exhibit high bat speed.
In recent Red Sox news, Triston Casas announced his aim to return on June 21, the first day he’s eligible to be activated from the injured list. Although this is not set in stone, as he still has five weeks to recover and regain form, Casas remains hopeful. This aligns with his usual approach of syncing his mental and physical readiness.
The extent of caution required during Casas’ rehab is still uncertain, but the Red Sox are eager to have him back in the lineup as soon as he’s fully healthy. Their offense has been struggling significantly in terms of power and situational hitting.
Red Sox fans will be closely monitoring Casas’ rehabilitation progress, with June 21 marked on their calendars, albeit with a note of caution.
