Red Sox Open To Veteran Call-Up After Triston Casas Late Scratch

Triston Casas was made a late scratch Saturday for a second consecutive contest, which opens the door for a veteran to return to the Boston Red Sox for the final stretch of the season.

Casas dealt with a sore right shoulder Friday, and it appeared to be a minor problem when the first baseman was named to the starting lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. But he was taken out prior to the contest, and Wilyer Abreu was added in to lead off at Rogers Centre.

Manager Alex Cora told reporters the team is deciding if Casas needs imaging on the shoulder, per The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey.

“Cora wasn’t sure how it happened but mentioned an awkward swing last homestand where the bat broke that might have tweaked something,” McCaffrey posted on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.

Justin Turner started at first base in place of Casas for the first two games of the Blue Jays series, but Cora was open to calling up Bobby Dalbec from Triple-A Worcester, per The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham.

Casas had started 17 straight games before he was made a late scratch Friday. But Dalbec could get his chance to impress during Boston’s final stretch of the season.

The 28-year-old played 10 games when Boston was hit with multiple injuries in June. But he primarily spent his time with Triple-A Worcester during the 2023 season. He’s hit 33 home runs with 79 RBIs in 114 games, and Dalbec has been seeking the advice of Red Sox legend David Ortiz and veteran Justin Turner.

The decision on his call up will depend on how Boston proceeds with Casas.

First pitch for Saturday’s Red Sox-Blue Jays game is scheduled at 3:07 p.m. ET, and you can catch full coverage on NESN starting with pregame at 2 p.m.