Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas, who was placed on the injured list Sunday, will miss significant time with a broken rib. Alex Gallardo/Associated Press
CLEVELAND — Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas is out indefinitely after breaking a rib on his left side while taking a hard swing in Saturday’s game at Pittsburgh.
Casas, who had been placed on the injury list with a strain, underwent tests in Boston that revealed the fracture. Manager Alex Cora said there is no timetable on when the 24-year-old will be back.
“He’ll be out for a while,” Cora said Tuesday before the Red Sox opened a three-game series at Progressive Field. “We just have to be patient. It has to heal on its own, so we just have to be patient.”
Cora expects Casas, who was batting .244 with six homers and 10 RBI, to return at some point this season. Cora said Casas told him that his rib was bothering him last week in a series against the Guardians.
On Saturday, Casas injured himself while fouling off a two-strike pitch in the first inning. He drew a walk and was replaced defensively in the next half inning.
“He’s still in a lot of pain and it’s difficult to rest that way,” said Cora, who texted with Casas earlier in the day. “Obviously, he’s disappointed, but it is what it is. There’s nothing we can do, just got to be patient.”
Cora said Boston’s lineup will miss Casas’ presence.
“He’s a force,” Cora said. “We saw that last year in the second part of the season. He was really good and then he got hurt. He’s very important, but we’ve got to keep going, man, and we’re not going to stop.”
With Casas out, Cora said Bobby Dalbec will get most of the playing time at first. Dalbec has been in a prolonged slump dating to last season and entered the series batting just .033.
He snapped a 0-for-19 drought on Friday with a double against the Pirates.
“We’re going to play him a lot,” Cora said of Dalbec. “Obviously, the front office is studying the situation and looking around to see if we go somewhere else for that. I talked to Bobby today. He’s done if before. In ’21 he was really good for us and hit the ball out of the ballpark and played good defense.”
Casas’ injury is just the latest for the Red Sox.
Outfielder Tyler O’Neill was re-instated on Tuesday after being in concussion protocol following a scary collision last week at Fenway Park with third baseman Rafael Devers. O’Neill sustained a gash on his head that required eight stitches.
Devers has been slowed by a bone bruise in his knee and hasn’t played since April 17. Cora decided not play him against the Guardians because of wet field conditions.
Also, the Red Sox placed catcher Tyler Heineman on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain.
ORIOLES: Baltimore brought up another top hitting prospect, recalling outfielder Heston Kjerstad from Triple-A Norfolk.
The Orioles also announced that they optioned catcher David Bañuelos to Norfolk.
Kjerstad is ranked 29th on MLB Pipeline’s prospect list. He was the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft and made his big league debut last season, hitting .233 with two home runs in 13 games.
DODGERS: Dave Roberts think Shohei Ohtani can be even better with more plate discipline with runners in scoring position.
The Los Angeles Dodgers manager approached the two-time AL MVP about a week ago to discuss how Ohtani could better control the strike zone.
“I thought he was expanding a little bit more than he needed to,” Roberts said. “So, I just wanted to have a conversation with him.”
Ohtani hit his 176th career home run on Sunday, surpassing Hideki Matsui for the most in Major League Baseball among players born in Japan. Ohtani entered Tuesday night’s game in Washington leading the major leagues in batting average (.368), hits (35), doubles (11) and total bases (63).
“Any time he swings the bat he can change the game, and now being even more disciplined in the strike zone just makes him more scary,” Roberts said.
Ohtani left the Los Angeles Angels and joined the Dodgers in December for a record $700 million, 10-year contract. The two-way star had elbow surgery last September and won’t pitch this season.
RANGERS: Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer is set to make a minor league rehab start Wednesday night, which will be the first game action for the 39-year-old Texas Rangers right-hander since back surgery during the offseason.
• Texas agreed to minor league deal with two-time All-Star Johnny Cueto, 38, who last pitched for the Miami Marlins in 2023.
YANKEES: Infielder DJ LeMahieu left his first minor league injury rehabilitation game with Double-A Somerset in the second inning Tuesday night due to soreness in his right foot, which he fractured on a foul ball during a spring training game on March 16.
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