BOSTON - It's unclear how the Red Sox will replace injured first baseman Triston Casas for a long time. For the moment, though, they are turning to someone who has a deep experience in that position.
Boston called versatile veteran infielder Abraham Toro before Saturday's game against Minnesota and placed Casas on the 10-day injury list with a ruptured left teller tendon. In addition, left-handed Brennan Bernardino, who is on bereavement leave, was activated from the bereavement list and Righty Luis Guerrero was selected as Triple-A Worcester.
Toro is not in the 40-man squad, so his contract was chosen by the Red Sox. The roster of 40 people is now full. Toro will wear No. 29. It is expected that Casas will eventually be moved to the 60-day IL.
Casas was stuffed in Fenway Park fields in the second inning of Friday's victory after clashes at first base. It's unclear how long he'll be out, but the Red Sox are preparing for a lot of absences. Details are rare, Friday nights are rare, but it is now obvious that the first baseman did suffer a rupture of the pat muscle tendon, the tendon that connects the knee cap to the tibial bone.
Toro, 28, is a veteran in 365 major league games in six seasons with Houston, Seattle, Milwaukee and Oakland. He started the year on Triple-A after signing a minor league contract with the Red Sox in late January and following a spring training session at major league camp, he started with two home runs, seven doubles and .917 OPS hits.
Toro has been logged in at first, second and third bases at Worcester so far, including 44 innings. In the major leagues, he mainly played second and third, but had 90 innings in the first base game, including 30 innings last year. He also rarely appears in two corner outfield games and is a career .220 batsman in the professional .638 OPS.
Toro will now be playing time with Romy Gonzalez, who gets other internal options like Nick Sogard and Vaughn Grissom, who both play on the 40-man roster that can eventually get it into the end. Boston could also take over Casas from the outside, or, in unlikely circumstances, start working hard at first base. Connor Wong, Rob Refsnyder and Carlos Narváez may also be mixed together.
Before his injury, Casas hit .184 with three home runs, 11 RBIs and .585 OPS in 28 games. He started 26 of his first 33 games at first base, with Romy Gonzalez mixing with seven other games.
In the bullpen, the Red Sox will now have four left-handed men with Bernardino, who spent the last three days on the bereavement roster, rejoined Sean Newcomb, Justin Wilson and the closed Aroldis Chapman. Guerrero, who performed well in his short-lived major league appointment, was the victim of the digital crunch needed for the health return of starter Lucas Giolito.
Bernardino has performed well in his third season in the Red Sox uniform, releasing the ERA at a 2.45 ERA in 11-inning relief. He allowed eight runs (but only three) while allowing seven hits and hit 10 hits. The 33-year-old was put on the bereavement list on Wednesday and needed to make a decision on Saturday.
Guerrero struggled in spring training and did not participate in the opening squad, but has hit only three innings in four points-free innings since being called on April 24. He has 5.23 ERAs in Woosox this season.