Triston Casas hopes to take part in Home Run Derby some day
BOSTON -- It has been 13 years since a member of the Boston Red Sox has taken a crack at the Home Run Derby. Triston Casas would like to change that in the near future.
The Red Sox first baseman is still on the mend from a rib injury, so he wasn't able to take any swings in Monday night's festivities in Arlington, Texas. But he was on hand as part of MLB's Home Run Derby coverage on TikTok, and was asked during the stream if he'd like to participate one day.
Casas made it clear that he would love to take some hacks on the big stage -- if the Red Sox would allow it.
"Absolutely," Casas responded. "Hopefully the Red Sox let me do it, I heard the Red Sox don't let people do it."
The Red Sox haven't had any players participate in the Home Run Derby since 2011, when both David Ortiz (who was defending his derby crown from 2010) and Adrian Gonzalez competed in Arizona. Gonzalez lost in the finals to Robinson Cano that season.
Ortiz appeared in the Home Run Derby five times, and is the only Red Sox player to win the dinger festival when he was victorious in 2010. Jim Rice (1985), Mo Vaughn (1995), Nomar Garciaparra (1997 and 1999), and Carl Everett (2000) are the other Red Sox players to appear in the derby.
Casas has the big and heavy swing for the contest, with 35 homers over 181 games at the Major League level. He hit 24 homers over 132 games as a rookie last season, and had six this season before landing on the IL with a rib injury in April.
