Triston Casas suffers ‘significant’ knee injury against Twins

Triston Casas suffered a left knee injury that required a stretcher to take him off the field after he stumbled over first base trying to beat out a shallow groundball down the first base line. Manager Alex Cora said postgame that Casas' injury was "significant," causing him to go to the hospital. More information about Casas will be available on Saturday, Cora said.

The Red Sox first baseman hit a dribbler down the first-base line on an apparent check-swing attempt, sending a grounder toward Minnesota Twins' right-handed pitcher Joe Ryan. Casas, who was the lead-off hitter in the bottom of the second inning, was ruled safe at the bag before he stumbled headfirst into foul territory, immediately grabbing his left leg. Ryan was credited with an error on the play, failing to field a routine ground ball cleanly. Casas tripped over Twins first baseman Ty France's foot as France stretched to catch Ryan's throw.

Casas lay on the ground as Cora and Boston's medical staff attended to him, staying on the field for a few minutes until a cart and stretcher were called to take Casas away from the playing surface. Romy Gonzalez entered the game as a pinch runner and first baseman.

"He said it right away that he didn't feel it," Cora said during his postgame press conference, which was broadcast by NESN. "It's tough. He worked so hard. We want him in the field. It's a hustle play, and that happens."

Casas played in 63 games during 2024 due to dealing with a rib injury, batting .241 with 51 hits, 32 RBI and 13 home runs in 243 plate appearances. He managed to draw only 30 walks while striking out 77 times. The 25-year-old first-round draft pick showed serious potential in 2023, when he hit .263 with 113 hits, 65 RBI and 24 homers in 502 at-bats. A slow start to 2025 has yielded a .184 batting average with three home runs, 11 RBI and 27 strikeouts through 111 plate appearances.

"You put so much effort in the offseason," Cora said. "I know how he works, and everything that he went through in the offseason, getting ready for this. He was looking forward to having a big season for us. It didn't start the way he wanted, but he kept grinding, kept working and this happened."

The Red Sox defeated the Twins, 6-1, to improve to 18-16 after their first of a three-game weekend series at Fenway Park. A home run from third baseman Alex Bregman gave Boston a 1-0 lead in the first inning before the Twins evened the score in the third. Designated hitter Rafael Devers singled to second base, allowing two runners to score before the Red Sox recorded three insurance runs in the eighth inning.