Red Sox's Triston Casas Tells Brutally Honest Truth on Injury Return

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Triston Casas won't be the opening day starter at first base for the Boston Red Sox this year, but he's out to prove he can still be a key piece of the roster.
As he works his way back from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, suffered at the start of May last year, Casas knows he's walking into a much tighter playing time battle than he's faced to this point. Boston traded for veteran first baseman Willson Contreras, and with four everyday outfielders plus the presence of Masataka Yoshida, designated hitter at-bats will be tough to come by.
Never one for keeping his true thoughts hidden, Casas recently discussed the predicament he's currently in with a refreshing dose of honesty.
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Casas knows injury could 'derail' career

Casas' take on his attempted recovery was that an injury like this one was absolutely capable of defining his career, but that he had the confidence it would only be a minor setback in the long haul.
“You see cases like this all the time where guys get injured and sometimes their careers get derailed and sometimes they bounce back,” Casas told MassLive's Chris Cotillo last week. “I guess we’re just going to see how I bounce back from this.”
Casas also knows he has some fiercely loyal supporters and some folks who can't stand him among Red Sox fans, and he believes part of what will define his relationship with the entire fan base going forward will be how well he bounces back from the most serious injury he's faced.
“I think everybody wants to see how I’m going to respond to this, and if I come back a better player, then my relationship with the fans is going to be better than ever," he said, per Cotillo.
It's no secret that the Red Sox need to add power in the middle of the lineup. Casas could be one of the most welcome additions they can find, and aside from where he fits on the roster, one of the biggest questions is when he'll come back into the picture.

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org