Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Slugger 'Looks To Increase Intensity' Amid Rehab, Eyes August Return

Boston's hot lineup could soon be adding another big bat

Colin Keane

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The Boston Red Sox have the best lineup in baseball right now, and that lineup isn’t even at full strength.

Boston’s bats have been the most productive in all of Major League Baseball since the All-Star break, according to various stats.

Franchise centerpieces Rafael Devers and Jarren Duran are on fire over the past few series, but it’s Boston’s secondary contributors — Masataka Yoshida, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela — who have truly made a difference with batting averages over .300 since the break.

One name missing from the party is Triston Casas, who’s been out for almost four months with a ribcage injury.

What would Boston’s current unstoppable lineup look like with Casas added to the mix? That answer will soon become clear, as Casas is reportedly progressing nicely during his rehab stint with Triple-A Worcester Red Sox.

After displaying elite exit velocity in recent days, Casas is now revving up his workload and intensity as he eyes an August 17 activation date back into the Majors, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic.

“In Triple-A Worcester, Triston Casas was in the lineup for the second straight day on Wednesday as he looks to increase intensity in his rehab,” McCaffrey said on Thursday. “The goal is to play three straight games then reassess where he’s at entering this weekend. Casas needs to be activated by Aug. 17.”

The return of Casas could be a game-changing element for Boston as it fights for a Wild Card berth. 

It might also raise chemistry questions for manager Alex Cora, who will presumably have to balance Casas’s playing time with that of Dominic Smith, who has become an important part of the Red Sox clubhouse.

Either way, having more talent on the roster is rarely a bad thing, and Boston will continue to monitor Casas’s rehab with excitement.

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Colin Keane

COLIN KEANE

Colin Keane is a contributing journalist for "Boston Red Sox On SI." Born in Illinois, Colin grew up in Massachusetts as the third of four brothers. For his high school education, Colin attended St. Mark's School (Southborough, MA), where he played basketball and soccer and served as student body president. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Villanova University. Colin currently resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

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