After the Red Sox' 6-1 win over the Twins Friday night, all attention turned to any sort of update Alex Cora could offer regarding Triston Casas.
While there was plenty for the Red Sox to feel good about in the first game of the teams' three-game set - including Brayan Bello allowing just one run over 6 2/3 innings to lower his ERA to 2.55 - the image presented in the second inning defined itself as this game's be-all, end-all.
Casas had been carted off the field after suffering a left knee injury, hitting the first base bag awkwardly before falling to the ground.
The news presented about 10 p.m. was not encouraging.
Cora classified the injury as "significant" and relayed that Casas was still at a nearby hospital.
"It seems like he was in shock, to be honest with you," said Cora. “He said right away that he didn't feel [his knee]. It's tough. He worked so hard, and we want him on the field. It was a hustle play, too, and that happened."
On Saturday, Red Sox chief baseball officer said Casas is expected to miss the rest of the season.
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The emotion of the moment and the news wasn't difficult to uncover after the game, either, as was evident by the continued reaction from Cora when talking about his first baseman.
"That’s the reason we don’t take it for granted, showing up to work every day and being a big leaguer," the manager said. "And he loves being a big leaguer. He loves to come to the ballpark at 10 in the morning and leaves at midnight and does his thing. But for now, I think it’s going to be taken away. I told him he’s going to be back at one point."
Now, the Red Sox find themselves in a similar situation as they did after Casas' season was derailed last season thanks to a rib cartilage injury on April 20. They need to find a first baseman.
For the time being, Romy Gonzalez would appear to be getting the brunt of the action, even against right-handed pitching. Gonzalez - who had been borrowing former teammate Joe Dunand's first base glove - has seen eight games at the position and 28 in total for his big league career.
Perhaps it becomes as simple as giving Gonzalez the chance to become the everyday first baseman, with the righty hitter actually having hit slightly better against right-handed pitching than lefties this season on the way to his current .741 OPS.
But there is also a value to keeping Gonzalez's versatility at other infield positions, which is why the likely scenario will be finding other options. Here are some:
Rafael Devers. The Red Sox designated hitter has never played first base, even in spring training (which was probably an organizational miss). But considering his experience on the other infield's corner spot, integrating into the new position might be a very real solution. Devers wants to play in the field, and this is the field. The switch would also solve the quandary when it comes to what to do with Masa Yoshida, who still can't play the field due to a shoulder injury but is able to serve as a designated hitter.
Marcelo Mayer/Roman Anthony. Neither top prospect has played first base, but both have the athleticism to seemingly manage at the spot. Mayer would seemingly present the quickest solution, having the infield skill-set to man the spot thanks to his time at the three other spots around the diamond. Anthony's frame and mobility - and offensive portfolio - has already had people buzzing about such a move. But just this week, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told the Boston Globe there were no talks about making such a move with the game's No. 1 prospect.
Nathan Hickey. The former fifth-round pick lived most of his professional life as a catcher leading up to this season. But after showing a strong ability to play first base throughout spring training, that's where he has gotten the vast majority of his time this season in Triple-A. Nobody has played more first base for the WooSox than Hickey, who is hitting .262 with a .729 OPS with Worcester. Another element of Hickey's game to factor in: He hits left-handed. The 25-year-old is not, however, on the 40-man roster.
Vaughn Grissom. Offensively, Grissom is doing everything one would hope since being sent to Triple-A, totaling an .825 OPS. And in this first foray into playing first base since Travel Ball, he has handled himself decently well in the four games at the spot. But because the 24-year-old hits from the right side, if the Red Sox do go this route it would likely to hand over the position on semi-full-time basis, with the reality that such a move would thin out the Sox' options from the left side of the plate.
Nick Sogard. Like Grissom, Sogard is on the 40-man roster and spent a good chunk of spring training serving as a legitimate first base option. But the 27-year-old has started just two games at first this season in Worcester, where he has struggled offensively for much of the season, hitting .205 with a .623 OPS. The switch-hitter has come on of late, managing a .375 batting average and .983 OPS in his last six games. He presents an interesting option considering his versatility and fielding acumen.
Abraham Toro. Along with Sogard, Toro was clearly being groomed as a potential Plan B at first base throughout spring training. Another switch-hitter, Toro has 365 games of major league experience, totaling 109 with Seattle in 2022 and 94 with the A's last season. He has served as one of Worcester's chief offensive threats while primarily playing third base, hitting .323 with a .917 OPS. He has, however, hit far better from the right side (.462) than the left (.265).
Outside options. Looking for the likes of Dom Smith of a year ago? (Sorry, Dom is hitting just .202 with the Yankees' Triple-A team.) Veterans Trey Mancini (Arizona) and Joey Meneses (Mets) are acquitting themselves well in Triple-A stints. But both are right-handed hitters. The Syracuse Mets also have Jon Singleton, who does hit from the left side and has pop (7 HR, .983 OPS). Former first-round pick Mike Ford (now 32 years old) is also a left-handed hitter swatting homers in Triple-A for the Twins organization. Also, old friend Christian Arroyo is tearing it up in Lehigh Valley while playing some first.