Red Sox 1B Triston Casas sidelined by illness

Field Level Media|published: Sun 25th February, 13:58 2024

Sep 6, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (36) looks on while on deck against the Tampa Bay Rays during the third inning at Tropicana Field. credits: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas will be away from the team for a few days because of illness, manager Alex Cora said.

"He's sick. He has the flu," Cora told reporters Sunday in Fort Myers, Fla. "He's gonna be out of the facility for two or three days. He has a net, a tee, bats, balls. He might be in Miami right now swinging."

Casas, 24, was not at the spring training facility Saturday and Sunday. He batted .263 with 24 home runs, 21 doubles and 65 RBIs in 429 at-bats over 132 games in his first full season. He had a .367 on-base percentage and .490 slugging percentage.

Boston selected Casas in the first round, 26th overall, in the 2018 MLB Draft out of American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla.

Cora also said right-handers Bryan Mata and Alex Hoppe, a non-roster pitcher, will be sidelined by injuries. Mata, 24, has a pulled right hamstring and Hoppe, 25, has a tight lat.

Mata is out of minor league options after coming up through the system as a starter, and the Red Sox plan to use him as a reliever.

—Field Level Media