Red Sox's Triston Casas: May begin rehab assignment soon

Casas (rib) could be cleared to start hitting in the batting cage within the next week and may be ready to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment before the end of the month, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

After landing on the injured list April 21 with a strain and torn cartilage in his left rib, Casas had previously expressed optimism that he would be ready to return to the Boston lineup at the start of July. That prediction ultimately proved to be too ambitious, as Casas wasn't even cleared to resume swinging a bat until the final week of June. Casas hasn't seemed to experience any setbacks since he started taking swings again, but facing off against high-velocity pitching in the batting cage or in live batting practice will provide a better test of the first baseman's health. Given that Casas will eventually need at least a few rehab games to get his timing back at the plate, he might not be a realistic option to return from the IL until early August, at least.