Boston Red Sox
Casas’s rib injury doesn’t appear to be a long-term issue.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora provided several injury updates Saturday, notably regarding first baseman Triston Casas and right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo.
Triston Casas’s rib status
Casas received some much-needed good news after being shut down from baseball activities due to a rib injury earlier this week. The 26-year-old will resume hitting from a tee Monday, Cora told reporters (via MassLive’s Christopher Smith).
Casas’s rib soreness arose from swinging the bat in late March. Cora said the issue popped up “a few days” before April 1.
Cora said that Casas was experiencing an intercostal strain, which was initially a concerning revelation given the player’s history with rib ailments. Casas suffered torn rib cartilage in April 2024, which kept him away from the diamond for much of that season.
Casas has struggled to stay healthy since then. He began this season on the injured list as he continues to rehab from a severe knee injury suffered in May 2025.
When and if Casas returns to Boston in 2026, it’s unclear where he would fit on the roster. Willson Contreras, the team’s starting first baseman, clobbered his first home run (423 feet and over the Green Monster) of the year in the Red Sox’ 5-2 home-opening win Friday. Contreras is under contract in Boston through 2027 with a club option for 2028.
Casas is strictly a 1B; he played a handful of games at third base in the minor leagues seven years ago.
Less than ideal news for Johan Oviedo
On the pitching side, Oviedo received a poor health update compared to Casas.
Oviedo will meet with his Tommy John surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister, Tuesday after experiencing an alarming throwing arm problem that landed him on the injured list. The Red Sox categorized it as a right elbow strain.
The 28-year-old hurler underwent Tommy John surgery in December 2023.
Oviedo saw his velocity dip in his March 30 relief outing in which he allowed six hits and four runs, including two home runs, through 3.2 innings of work. His fastball was averaging 93 miles per hour, a fall from his 2025 95.5 average.
After the game, Oviedo told reporters that he felt fine health-wise and couldn’t explain what happened on the mound.
“I’m surprised like probably everyone else,” Oviedo said at the time (via Smith). “I mean my body feels good. It’s not like I feel sore or anything like it. So you just gotta keep working to figure out what the issue is.”
However, come Wednesday, Oviedo couldn’t bend his arm, landing him on the IL.
“When I woke up in the morning, I couldn’t bend or flex my arm when I was getting out of bed,” Oviedo said (via MassLive’s Chris Cotillo).
Kutter Crawford, Patrick Sandoval near rehab outings
Right-handed pitcher Kutter Crawford, who is recovering from multiple 2025 injuries, including wrist surgery, is on his way toward minor league rehab outings. Crawford missed all of 2025 after tossing a career high 183.2 innings in 2024.
Fellow RHP Patrick Sandoval, who similarly hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2024, will begin his rehab assignment Sunday. Sandoval, 29, who Boston signed in free agency in 2024, will start for Double-A Portland.
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