Jarren Duran had a career first half of the MLB season this year, and there’s been no louder voice to get the Red Sox outfielder to the All-Star Game than Triston Casas.
The Boston first baseman has been out since April after he fractured cartilage in his ribs. He’s been rehabbing the injury and was hopeful to return this month. But while rehabbing, Casas made multiple in-game media appearances.
One viral moment came during NESN’s broadcast of the Red Sox’s matchup against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on June 14. Casas spoke about his injury with Dave O’Brien and Lou Merloni, but as the second inning was coming to a close, Casas listed off Duran’s stats to a detailed degree, even highlighting his teammate’s decreased strikeout rate. It clearly was a concerted effort from the star slugger because he did the same thing again on an ESPN broadcast.
“I was ready to say all those facts that day, which I left that interview very frustrated,” Casas told NESN’s Tom Caron and The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier on the “310 To Left” podcast. “I was like, ‘Man, I can’t believe I studied all that and didn’t get to say it.’ The next time comes and then I get cut off. I had more stuff to say. And then that night, I was even more frustrated because I had the chance and I started it and didn’t even finish it, which is worse than not doing it. And then I got on ESPN, and I was like, ‘I’m doing it.'”
Casas also gave inside information on his ESPN appearance where he told a wild Father’s Day story.
Other Red Sox players made their pitches for Duran to make the All-Star Game. The 27-year-old was 19th among outfielders after the first round of fan voting, which likely means Casas will continue vouching for his teammate as many times as he can.
Check out more from Caron and Speier’s interview with Casas in the video and podcast links embedded above.
