MINNEAPOLIS – For two players who have been beset by injuries the last couple of years, there were added developments to their frustration on Tuesday.
Righty Kutter Crawford, who missed all of last season first due to a right knee injury and then a ruptured sheath in his right wrist suffered during a home-improvement accident, was pulled from his Minor League rehab assignment with soreness in his right elbow.
Meanwhile, first baseman Triston Casas, who played only 29 games last season before rupturing his left patellar tendon, now has a left abdominal strain that is going to push back his ‘26 debut “a while,” according to Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
Crawford, who led the Red Sox in starts and innings two years ago, had just started his rehab assignment for Triple-A Worcester on Saturday, giving up six hits, five runs and three homers in just three innings.
“Kutter is just a little bit sore, so we’re going to play it a little bit safe with him. He’s going to get treatment. Nothing to be too alarmed [about], just talking to [trainer] Brandon [Henry], just making sure we go through the right steps and hopefully he gets back [to throwing] next week,” said Cora.
The Red Sox don’t currently have a rotation spot available for Crawford, but along with fellow rehabber Patrick Sandoval, he is one of their top depth options should something go awry.
Crawford could also be a useful long man in Boston’s bullpen.
The power-hitting Casas looked like the first baseman of the present and future in 2023, when he finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. But torn cartilage in his ribcage limited him to 63 games in ‘24. Cora said the abdominal issue isn’t related to his prior rib injury. Last year’s major knee injury wiped out nearly all of his season and left him behind the other players during Spring Training.
Needing a healthy and productive option at first base, the Red Sox acquired Willson Contreras from the Cardinals in December.
“Treat it like an oblique injury,” said Cora. “Obviously, whenever he's ready, he's ready, and we have to go to the ramp up again and the whole thing, and then obviously going through the progression of, like, quote, unquote Spring Training, so it’s going to be a while.”
Casas, now 26, never could have foreseen all these issues three years ago, when he was Boston’s most productive hitter down the stretch.
“It's been tough. It's been hard for him,” said Cora. “Seems like every year there's something, and just when he's about to get going [again], this happened. Obviously, he's upbeat about it. And, you know, the knee is fine. We just have to take care of this. And hopefully he can be back doing baseball activities sooner rather than later.”