Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas ‘living [his] worst nightmare’ as he starts injury rehab

BOSTON — Triston Casas isn’t happy about having to watch the remainder of the Boston Red Sox’s season following season-ending knee surgery. But he’s ready to attack the rehab from his second major injury in two years head on.

Casas spoke to reporters Tuesday for the first time since having the procedure last month to repair the ruptured left patellar tendon he injured running to first base after hitting a slow ground ball and then falling awkwardly during Boston’s win over Minnesota on May 2. He was carted off the field and taken to a hospital for testing.

He had surgery two days later.

He was still using crutches Tuesday and said he will be off them soon. He will then head to the Red Sox’s spring training facility in Fort Myers, Florida, where he’ll spend most of this summer and the offseason undergoing rehab. The 25-year-old plans to be ready in time for opening day next season.

“I’m living my worst nightmare right now to go through a double-digit recovery that’s months long,” Casas said Tuesday. “But going through it now, I feel like I’m going to be better as a consequence of it. It’s just part of the game. It’s part of running hard down the line. Part of just playing the game how you feel like it should be. I wouldn’t have changed anything about it. It’s just a move that I’ve done a thousand times. … It’s just onward from here, I guess.”

The first baseman batted just .182 with three homers and 11 RBIs prior to the injury, but the biggest void he left is on defense. The Red Sox have explored multiple options to replace him, including initially asking Rafael Devers to learn the position after he was replaced at third by offseason, free-agent acquisition Alex Bregman, and moved to DH.

Since Casas’ injury, Abraham Toro has split time at first along with Romy Gonzalez.

Casas is attacking this latest injury setback just a year removed from missing a large portion of last season with torn cartilage in his rib cage.

“I’d rather be out there helping the team win games,” Casas said. “But considering everything that’s happened I’m in a good headspace. Just focused on making a healthy comeback and progressing every day in whatever fashion it is and trying to fill my time and get better any way that I can.”

He said the recovery timeline he was given has varied in length, but hasn’t been anything over a year.

“As of right now, our goal is opening day next year,” Casas said. “So, I’m going to take it slow. Going to spend the winter in Fort Myers rehabbing and until then just try to stay in a positive mindset. I know there’s a lot of healing that’s done outside of the training table. So I think I’m trying to take it one day at a time, be positive and maintain a good headspace is going to be important as well.”