Red Sox face a big void at first base!
Fenway Park fell silent on Friday night, not out of awe, but concern.
During the second inning of what would become a 6–1 win over the Twins, Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas suffered a major setback. After reaching base on a Joe Ryan error, Casas stumbled awkwardly crossing the bag and went down immediately, clutching his left knee. Within minutes, the mood at Fenway shifted. The crowd, previously lively, watched in stunned quiet as a stretcher was brought out.
Manager Alex Cora called it “a significant injury” postgame. By then, Casas had already been taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation, and the club didn’t expect to have a more detailed update until Saturday.
It’s the second straight season the 24-year-old has suffered an early injury. Last year, he played in just 63 games. This year, he may not get the chance to double that figure.
First base wasn’t exactly a position of strength for the Red Sox to begin with, and now, they’re in scramble mode.
Let’s start with what’s not going to happen. Despite the buzz around top prospects, Boston’s front office has made it clear that neither Roman Anthony (the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball) nor Marcelo Mayer will be asked to learn first base on the fly. Craig Breslow said earlier this week there are no plans to shift Anthony, an outfielder, to the infield, and Mayer, a natural shortstop, has never played there.
Rafael Devers may sound like the next best option. However, that is also unlikely. Since the arrival of Alex Bregman, who’s tearing the cover off the ball (.1.009 OPS, 8 HR in 33 games), Devers has been moved into a full-time DH role. Though he’s only ever played third base in the infield in the big leagues, and has recently moved to DH with Alex Bregman’s arrival, it’s theoretically possible for him to shift across the diamond. In fact, Devers has never played first base at the professional level, and everything suggests that he’s not the biggest asset in the infield either. It would be a tall task for him to successfully make the transition.
Romy Gonzalez is the most immediate solution. He’s been splitting time with Casas in a loose platoon to start the season, handling first base duties against lefties. Cora has turned to him in the past and will likely lean on him again, at least temporarily.
Vaughn Grissom, who narrowly lost the second base battle to Kristian Campbell during spring training, is making a case at Triple-A Worcester. He’s hitting .289 with three home runs and an .825 OPS, and the WooSox have even given him a few games at first base to broaden his versatility. If the Red Sox want someone with a hot bat and developmental upside, Grissom could get the call.
ALSO READ: It Took a While, But Juan Soto Finally Goes Yard at Citi Field
Beyond that, the options get murky, or downright uninspiring.
Connor Wong got six starts at first last season, but the Red Sox haven’t tried him there at all this year. Rob Refsnyder has logged MLB innings at the position, 227 of them, but not since 2020. Boston experimented with him at first in Triple-A last year, with underwhelming results.
Carlos Narváez, primarily a catcher, played 114 innings at first with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate last season, but the Red Sox haven’t explored that route yet. David Hamilton and Kristian Campbell are both infielders, but neither has experience at first and the organization seems committed to continuing their development at their natural positions.
ALSO READ: Texas Rangers Make Bold Move, Option One of Their Biggest Offseason Acquisitions
The timing of Casas’ injury is brutal. Not just for him, but for a Red Sox team that had built quiet momentum heading into May. Now, they’re facing one of baseball’s trickiest problems: trying to replace a core bat and defensive anchor with no clear Plan B.
If the injury proves as serious as it looked, Boston may need to consider external help. Until then, the revolving door at first base begins again.
mlb
MLB 
