Red Sox Could Bring Back 2024 Fan Favorite To Replace Triston Casas, Insider Says

A move Red Sox fans would surely enjoy

Sep 20, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

It's impossible not to feel heartbroken for Triston Casas.

The Boston Red Sox's 25-year-old first baseman suffered what manager Alex Cora called a "significant" injury to his left knee on Friday night. While there is still further testing to be done, Casas had to be carted off the field and looks as though he could very well miss the rest of the season.

The best hope for Casas may be a speedy enough recovery to get back to game speed by next spring. But the Red Sox need more immediate help at his position, which was unfortunately the one spot the team didn't really have a backup on the major league roster.

Romy González, the do-everything utility man, will likely fill in for Casas for a game or two. There are options in Triple-A like Nick Sogard and Vaughn Grissom who could be called up soon to take Casas' roster spot. But what if the Red Sox choose to go outside the organization?

On Friday night, MassLive's Chris Cotillo floated the idea of a reunion with Dominic Smith, a fan favorite who filled in for Casas when he was injured for four months last season. Smith is currently on a minor league deal with the New York Yankees.

"A year ago, when Casas tore cartilage in his rib cage on a swing in Pittsburgh on April 20, Breslow quickly sprung into action, adding two veteran first baseman in quick succession. He acquired Garrett Cooper from the Cubs and signed Dom Smith after Smith opted out of a minor league deal with Tampa Bay," Cotillo wrote.

"Veterans on minor league contracts are typically available around May 1. Smith is once again one of them and he’s at Triple-A with the Yankees."

Smith, 29, slashed .237/.317/.370 in 84 games in Boston, but he was quite good after a slow first month. He had some clutch hits in a Red Sox uniform, though his best moment may have been his swim move slide in Kansas City to score the go-ahead run in a dramatic August win.

Nobody that the Red Sox can get from the minor leagues has the ceiling of Casas. And there's no guarantee Smith is available, either. But there would be something poetic about a reunion after Boston was sad to see Smith designated for assignment last summer.

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