Alex Cora said Triston Casas’s pregame routine didn’t cause clubhouse problems
"We had no issues in the clubhouse."
Red Sox manager Alex Cora disputed a report that veteran players took exception to Triston Casas’s pregame routine, which included sunbathing on the field and taking naps, during the first baseman’s lone month in the majors in 2022.
Cora told reporters Saturday that he discussed the article with Casas.
“I actually talked to him the day after and we went over the article. I read it,” Cora said. “I didn’t like the headline, because I don’t think the article said what the headline said. I know how it works: He writes it and somebody else puts the headline.”
The report, which came from MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, claimed that veteran players “voiced their displeasure” on numerous occasions with Casas. The first baseman told Cotillo that there were “clashes” about how he should approach games. The headline to the article read that Casas “ruffled feathers with pregame routine, learned valuable lesson in process.”
Cora said that wasn’t true.
“We had no issues in the clubhouse, first of all,” Cora said. “He learned a lot last year. He actually told me that right now, he’s looking for somebody to follow because everybody’s new.”
Cora later mentioned that Casas does his pregame yoga and sunbathing routine at the Coca-Cola deck in left field for games played at Fenway Park, quipping that it’s closer to the sun than the field is. He also said that Casas is taking his pregame naps in the designated nap room.
Casas, who is set to be the Red Sox’ starting first baseman as he plays in his first full season in the majors, played in Friday’s exhibition against Northeastern. He hit seventh and recorded a walk.
After a day off on Saturday, Casas will play in Sunday’s game against the Rays and hit leadoff. Cora joked that he’s having Casas hit leadoff so that the media would have something to talk about.
“I did it on purpose,” Cora quipped.
Casas hit .197 with a .766 OPS to go along with five home runs and 12 RBIs in 27 games last season.
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