Red Sox’s Triston Casas Has Great Response To What He Learned On IL

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas used nearly the four months he spent on the injured list with a rib injury as a learning experience.

So, what exactly did Casas learn about himself over that time?

“That I’m one tough son of a (expletive), for sure,” Casas told reporters as he returned for Friday’s road game against the Baltimore Orioles, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “I go out and put my best foot forward to get better every single day, pain or not. I want to get back on this field. I’m hungry and I want it really bad for these guys. However I’m feeling aside, that’s what’s most important to the team.”

The torn rib cartilage Casas sustained on April 20 sidelined him for an extended period of time. The injury came with significant pain, too, as Casas said it hurt to even breathe at times. Even when Casas was on his rehab assignment, he said when he swung it felt like “someone’s stabbing me with a knife right in the ribs.”

The pain lessened over the 11 games Casas spent with Triple-A Worcester but hasn’t completely dissipated. But Casas, who hit .300 with a home run, seven RBIs and seven doubles during his rehab stint, believes he can work through the pain and it won’t hold him back.

“It’s good enough to come out and play 100%,” Casas said. “My bat speed numbers are back to where they were before. That was what I was worried about the most, whipping the bat around at major league speeds. I’m right back to it. The pain is what it is. It’s not going to bother me from playing the game that I need to. That’s what I wanted most. That’s when I knew I was ready to come back, when I knew it wasn’t going to be a factor as to whether my result was based on an amount of discomfort. It’s tolerable, it’s manageable. It’s not going to be a reason why I don’t play well.

“It’s going to be 100% soon. I don’t know when but it’s not going to affect the play on the field. It’s going to be fine moving up.”

Casas rejoins the Red Sox at a pivotal point in their season with Boston in the hunt for a playoff spot. And Casas, who hit .244 with six home runs and 10 RBIs before going on the IL, is ready to contribute no matter how he feels.

“It felt like the pain was minimal enough to get back and help this team win,” Casas said. “Every game matters. We don’t know which one is going to make the difference. I was trying to come back as soon as possible because every win matters just as much as the next one. I’m really looking forward to it.”