The Boston Red Sox have had a significant hole in their lineup at the first base position since the start of the season. That hole was exacerbated when starting first baseman Triston Casas went down with a ruptured left patellar tendon in early May, ending his season.

In an effort to fill that hole, the Red Sox traded for Ryan Noda of the Los Angeles Angels organization for cash and immediately sent him to the team's Triple-A affiliate in Worcester, Mass. Noda had been struggling with the Angels minor-league affiliate in Salt Lake City. He was hitting .148 with four homers, eight RBIs, 53 strikeouts, and a .633 OPS in 154 plate appearances.

While those numbers would not indicate that he will be much of a threat in the Boston lineup if he is brought up to the parent club, Noda bashed 22 home runs for the Oakland A's in 2023. If he can come close to regaining that form, he could give the Red Sox a significant upgrade in their lineup.

Since Casas was injured, the Red Sox have used Romy Gonzalez, Nick Sogard, and Abraham Toro to fill the position. Gonzalez has a been a solid utility player for the Red Sox, but he suffered a quad contusion and is currently out of action.

Triston Casas was a disappointment for Red Sox prior to  injury

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (36) runs to first base against Minnesota Twins first baseman Ty France (13) during the second inning at Fenway Park.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
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During the offseason, Red Sox officials thought they would get a big power boost from Casas in the middle of their lineup. However, he struggled badly with just 18 hits in 99 at bats. Casas had hit just three home runs and driven in 11 runs. His defense and base running were also issues that impacted the team negatively.

The 25-year-old Casas cuts a notable figure at the plate at 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds, and the Red Sox based their hopes for a big season from him because of a productive season in 2023. That was his first full season with the Sox, and he blasted 24 home runs with 65 RBIs while slashing .263/.367/.490. He also displayed a good eye at the plate with 70 walks in 502 plate appearances.

His 2024 season was limited to 63 games because of a rib injury, and he had just 13 home runs and 32 RBIs.

The Red Sox have had high hopes of bouncing back after struggling in recent seasons and failing to earn a spot in the playoffs. The acquisition of pitchers Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler along with All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman have raised expectations, but the offensive production has been disappointing, and the bullpen has failed to hold leads in a number of games.

The Red Sox (25-26) are currently in third place in the American League East, six games behind the first-place New York Yankees.