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Triston Casas Could Open 2027 in Triple-A
Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (wrist) could be a candidate to start the 2027 season in Triple-A, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. Casas did not play at all in 2026 due to wrist, knee, and intercostal injuries. It's been a while since the 26-year-old was able to string together an extended stretch of health, as injuries limited him to just 112 plate appearances in 2025 and 243 plate appearances in 2024. However, Casas was productive in his lone healthy big league season, hitting .263 with 24 home runs across 502 plate appearances in 2023. If he can get back to full health, Casas could be a useful power bat for Boston. Still, the Red Sox currently have a logjam at first base/designated hitter between Willson Contreras, Roman Anthony, Masataka Yoshida, and Curtis Mead. Casas is a name for deeper-league fantasy managers to monitor, but he could be forced to prove he can still be productive at the lower levels before he gets another shot in the big leagues.
Source: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
Source: The Athletic - Jen McCaffrey
Willson Contreras Back in Lineup for Sunday's Season Finale
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) is back in the starting lineup for the regular-season finale on Sunday against the visiting Chicago Cubs and left-hander Shota Imanaga, serving as the designated hitter and batting third for the BoSox, per MLB.com. It will be Contreras' first game played since being hit by a pitch on his hand last Thursday against the Texas Rangers, and he even expressed uncertainty recently about being ready for the Wild-Card series next week against the division-rival New York Yankees. The 34-year-old Venezuelan has had an excellent first year in Beantown, slashing .276/.387/.518 with a .905 OPS, a career-high 27 home runs, 81 RBI, 68 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 446 at-bats. However, he has played in only four games in September due to injury, and he could struggle at the plate as a result in the postseason if he is active. In 23 games in August, Contreras also struggled offensively, going 18-for-83 (.217) with three homers, 12 RBI, 11 walks, and 26 strikeouts across 98 plate appearances. He is hitless in eight career at-bats against Imanaga.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Willson Contreras Out on Friday, Uncertain of Playoff Availability
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) is out of the starting lineup yet again for Game 1 of a doubleheader on Friday against the visiting Chicago Cubs at Fenway Park, according to MLB.com. On Thursday night, a week after he was hit on the knuckle between the ring finger and pinkie on his right hand, Contreras expressed concern about his availability for the start of the wild-card series in the American League next week. "I mean, it's really concerning," said Contreras. "But at the same time, I'm putting all my effort -- and everything I can do, I'm doing it. I don't know what else to say. I'm working hard with the trainers; the hand is slowly getting better. But I haven't been able to swing the last two days." If the Red Sox do not have Contreras, their best power hitter this season, it will be a big blow to their chances of making a deep postseason run. Before injuries struck this month, Contreras was having a career year in his first season with the team, slashing .276/.387/.518 with 27 home runs and 81 RBI in 129 games played. Andruw Monasterio is starting at first base for Game 1 on Friday and is hitting eighth against Cubs right-hander Clay Holmes.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Willson Contreras Still Experiencing Pain, Not Expected to Play on Friday
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) said he is still experiencing pain when swinging and that he does not expect to return to his team's lineup on Friday, per Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald. Contreras has not played since September 17 after being hit by a pitch on his right hand. X-rays on the hand have come back negative, but the playoff-bound Red Sox have little incentive to force Contreras back out onto the field for their final few games of the regular season. The 34-year-old is a critical piece of the team's lineup, as he's hit .276/.387/.518 with 27 home runs, 81 RBI, 68 runs scored, and three stolen bases. Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, fantasy managers may be forced to leave Contreras on their bench.
Source: Boston Herald - Mac Cerullo
Source: Boston Herald - Mac Cerullo
Willson Contreras Won't Return in Series Finale
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) is missing a sixth straight game in Thursday's series finale against the visiting Cleveland Guardians, per MLB.com. Nick Sogard is making another start at first base and will bat out of the leadoff spot against Guardians right-hander Daniel Espino. Contreras was hit by a pitch on his right hand in last Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers. X-rays came back negative, but Boston has elected to give him some extra rest with the postseason starting next week. We would expect Contreras to return during this weekend's series at home against the Chicago Cubs. The four-time All-Star has hit a career-high 27 home runs while driving in 81 runs in 129 games across 533 plate appearances, but he has only played in four games in September after hitting only .217 (18-for-83) with three homers, 11 walks, and 26 strikeouts in 23 games in August. The Red Sox will need Contreras, who has been one of their most consistent hitters for the majority of the 2026 season, in top form if they want to make a deep playoff run.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Willson Contreras Remains Sidelined With Hand Injury
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) remains out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game at Fenway Park against the visiting Cleveland Guardians, according to The Boston Globe's Tim Healey. Nick Sogard is making another start at first base and will bat second against Guardians left-hander Foster Griffin. Contreras is now out of the starting lineup for a fifth straight game after he was hit on his right hand by a pitch last Thursday against the Texas Rangers. X-rays came back negative, but apparently the right-handed slugger is still too sore to return to action. The Red Sox would love to get Contreras back on the field by this weekend so that he can get some more at-bats heading into the big wild-card series next week against the division-rival New York Yankees. The 34-year-old Venezuelan has been great for the BoSox in 2026 with a .276/.387/.518 slash line and a career-high 27 home runs, but he has barely played in September due to injuries. Contreras also hit just .217/.330/.386 with three home runs, 12 RBI, 11 walks, and 26 strikeouts in 23 games in August. He is currently limping to the finish line.
Source: The Boston Globe - Tim Healey
Source: The Boston Globe - Tim Healey
Willson Contreras Still Out With Hand Injury on Tuesday
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) remains sidelined for Tuesday's series opener at Fenway Park against the Cleveland Guardians, per MLB.com. Nick Sogard is playing first base again and will bat out of the two-hole against Guardians left-hander Parker Messick. Contreras suffered a bruised right hand when he was hit by a pitch in last week's game against the Texas Rangers, and this will be his fourth straight absence. His hand injury is not considered serious, but the Red Sox are playing it safe with one of their best hitters this year, with the playoffs quickly approaching next week. The 34-year-old Venezuelan has hit .276/.387/.518 this year with a .905 OPS, a career-high 27 home runs, 81 RBI, 68 runs scored, and three stolen bases across his 446 at-bats in his first year in Beantown. The four-time All-Star has played in just four games in September, though, and that came after hitting just .217 (18-for-83) with a .715 OPS in 23 games in August. Contreras should return at some point this week in hopes that he can get back into an offensive groove heading into the wild-card series next week against the division-rival New York Yankees.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Chad Tracy Becomes Full-Time Manager, Lands Three-Year Contract
The Boston Red Sox named Chad Tracy as their full-time manager on Tuesday by signing him to a three-year contract with a club option for the 2030 season, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. The Red Sox also announced that they exercised chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's 2029 and 2030 options. Tracy is the 49th manager in Red Sox history after taking over on April 25 when Breslow fired Alex Cora. Boston was 10-17 at that point. With Tracy as the skipper, Boston has gone 74-55 and clinched a spot in the 2026 playoffs on Sunday. Tracy started 32-46 as the team entered play on June 25, but they turned in a 20-3 stretch that vaulted them into wild-card position. That insane stretch included 15 straight wins from July 3 through July 22, which tied for the longest win streak in club history. The Red Sox are currently in possession of the second American League wild-card spot and are likely to face the division-rival New York Yankees in the AL wild-card round for the second straight season at Yankee Stadium.
Source: MassLive.com - Christopher Smith
Source: MassLive.com - Christopher Smith
Willson Contreras Sitting Out Series Finale in Tampa
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) remains absent from the team's starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays, per MLB.com. Nick Sogard is making a third straight start at first base for the BoSox and is hitting fifth against Rays right-hander Griffin Jax. Contreras is missing a third straight game after he was hit by a pitch on his right hand in Thursday's win over the Texas Rangers. The good news is that X-rays came back negative for any fractures in his hand, so fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day going into the final week of the 2026 regular season. With a scheduled day off coming on Monday, hopefully Contreras will be back on the field for Tuesday's series opener at Fenway Park against the Cleveland Guardians. The 34-year-old Venezuelan has a career-best 27 home runs and 81 RBI in 2026 in his first year in Boston, but he hit just .217 (18-for-83) with a .715 OPS in 23 games in August, and he has played in only four games so far in September due to various injuries.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Willson Contreras Still Out on Saturday
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) remains out of the team's starting lineup for Saturday's contest against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays for the second straight day, per MLB.com. Nick Sogard will make another start at first base and will bat fifth against Rays right-hander Freddy Peralta. Contreras was diagnosed with a bruised right hand after leaving Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers after he was hit by a pitch. X-rays came back negative, though, so he is considered day-to-day and could make his return in Sunday's series finale in Tampa. Fantasy managers are hoping to get the 34-year-old Venezuelan back in their starting lineups as soon as possible, as the four-time All-Star has hit a career-high 27 home runs while driving in 81 runs in 129 games and 533 plate appearances in his first year with the club. Various injuries have limited Contreras to only four games so far in September, though, and he has gone 4-for-12 with a homer and two RBI.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Willson Contreras Held Out of Friday's Lineup
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) is not in the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays, according to MLB.com. Nick Sogard will man first base for the BoSox and bat second against Rays left-hander Ian Seymour. It should not be a huge surprise that Contreras is not starting on Friday after he was pulled from Thursday's win over the Texas Rangers after being hit on the right hand by a pitch late in the game. Thankfully, X-rays came back negative, and Contreras was diagnosed with a bruised hand. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day and check back on him to see if he is playing in Game 2 of the series in Tampa on Saturday. The 34-year-old veteran and former catcher has battled through some injuries this year but has still been one of Boston's best bats in 2026, as he is currently hitting .276/.387/.518 with a .905 OPS, 27 home runs, 81 RBI, 68 runs scored, and three steals in his 446 at-bats in his first year in Beantown. However, he did hit just .217 (18-for-83) with three homers, 12 RBI, 11 walks, and 26 strikeouts in 23 games in August, and he has played in only four games so far in September.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Willson Contreras Day-to-Day With Bruised Hand
Updating a previous report, Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) was diagnosed with a bruised right hand after being hit by a pitch in the eighth inning in Thursday night's comeback win over the Texas Rangers, interim manager Chad Tracy told Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. Contreras is considered day-to-day after X-rays on his hand came back negative, so there could be a chance that he will be available for the start of a new series on Friday against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays. If the four-time All-Star does miss any time this weekend, expect Nick Sogard to take over at first base for Boston. Contreras came into Thursday's game with a strong .275/.386/.519 slash line on the year with a .906 OPS, a career-high 27 home runs, 81 RBI, 68 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 128 games across 529 plate appearances. Fantasy managers are hoping that he can finish strong after slumping to a .217 average (18-for-83) in 23 games in August. The 34-year-old veteran has been a must-start in all traditional fantasy leagues in 2026 in his first year with the BoSox.
Source: The Boston Globe - Tim Healey
Source: The Boston Globe - Tim Healey
Willson Contreras Leaves After Being Hit By a Pitch
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) was removed from Thursday's game early against the Texas Rangers in the eighth inning after he was hit on the hand by a pitch, according to Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald. Before leaving, Contreras went 1-for-3 at the plate with a strikeout in the eventual 4-3 win at Globe Life Field. Fantasy managers will want to be on the lookout for Contreras' X-ray results, which will determine how much time he might have to miss. Hopefully, X-rays come back negative, and he will be able to return to the starting lineup for Friday's series opener in Tampa against the division-rival Rays. The 34-year-old Venezuelan and four-time All-Star has had an excellent first year in Boston in 2026, going into Thursday's game with a .275/.386/.519 slash line with a .906 OPS, a career-high 27 home runs, 81 RBI, 68 runs scored, and three stolen bases in his 128 games and 529 plate appearances. Nick Sogard slid over to first base from second base on Thursday after Contreras left, and he could be the favorite for playing time at first if Contreras misses any time late in the season.
Source: Boston Herald - Mac Cerullo
Source: Boston Herald - Mac Cerullo
Willson Contreras Activated from Injured List on Sunday
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (hamstring) was activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of his team's matchup against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. The 34-year-old batted fourth and went two-for-three with a walk and a run scored in his return. Contreras was placed on the 10-day injured list in late August with a hamstring strain, but he was able to return almost immediately after he was first eligible. Across 521 plate appearances this season, Contreras is hitting .277/.387/.517 with 26 home runs, 79 RBI, 67 runs scored, and three stolen bases. He's posted a stellar 13.4% barrel rate and has taken advantage of the hitter-friendly Fenway Park, posting a 1.003 OPS with 14 home runs across 255 plate appearances at home. Now that he's back with the Red Sox, Contreras is a must-start fantasy first baseman across all league formats.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Willson Contreras Set to Begin Rehab Assignment on Friday
Boston Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said that first baseman Willson Contreras (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Portland on Friday, per Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. Contreras has been on the 10-day injured list since late August, but it appears he is making progress toward a return and could be back with Boston on Sunday or Monday. Contreras was having an excellent season before the injury, hitting .274/.384/.516 with 26 home runs, 79 RBI, 66 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 517 plate appearances. Once he returns to the big leagues, Contreras profiles as a must-start first base option for fantasy managers.
Source: The Boston Globe - Tim Healey
Source: The Boston Globe - Tim Healey
