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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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A 19-year-old Boston Red Sox prospect with ambitions of becoming the next Shohei Ohtani will put his dream on hold while recovering from a major surgical procedure.
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Conrad Cason underwent an internal brace procedure on his left (throwing) elbow, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI and the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast. Ohtani himself underwent a hybrid procedure on his throwing elbow involving an internal brace (adding a braided suture to repair the torn ligament) and did not pitch for a full year afterward, while serving as the Los Angeles Dodgers' everyday designated hitter.
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An eighth-round draft pick by the Red Sox in 2024, Cason made his only professional appearance on a mound in a May 3 game for Boston's affiliate in the Florida Complex League. He threw two scoreless innings and went 1 for 4 as a designated hitter two days later. Cason had not appeared in a game since.
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In June, Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com reported that Cason was diagnosed with "arm fatigue," which later became "elbow soreness." At the time, he had been cleared to resume a hitting progression but still was not throwing.
Injury Updates 2/X:- RHP Jedixson Paez (#17), rehabbing R calf strain in FTM, in throwing progression, throwing bullpens w/ up/downs.- TWP Conrad Cason (#21), had arm fatigue, became elbow soreness. In hitting progression. Not throwing but expected back before the end of the MiLB season.
— Chris Hatfield (@spchrishatfield.bsky.social) 2025-06-27T22:05:10.080Z
Sometime in the last two months, hope dissipated that Cason would return by the end of the 2025 minor league season.
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Cason was a standout on the mound and in the batter's box — as well as three other sports — at the Greater Atlanta Christian School. He told the Boston Herald in March that he intended to continue pitching and hitting as long as he could as a professional.
"I want to take what Shohei's doing and try to take it to the next level and try to also play the field for as long as I can too," he told Mac Cerullo. "Because that's the one thing Shohei doesn't do."
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According to MLB Pipeline, the Red Sox "were truly divided on whether (Cason) was better as a right-hander or a shortstop and still aren't sure after signing one of the youngest prospects in the 2024 Draft for late second-round money ($1.25 million) as an eighth-rounder."
Most scouts preferred him as a pitcher, according to the report. If Ohtani's return from the same surgery is any indication, Cason will not be able to showcase his pitching talents for a while, but he might be able to focus on hitting in the near term.
More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports.
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