- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,190,503
- Reaction score
- 59
The Boston Red Sox' offense got a much-needed boost on Sunday afternoon as the team announced that utility man Romy Gonzalez was activated off the 60-day injured list after missing the first 81 games of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in March. Gonzalez has been a jack of all trades in his first two seasons in Boston, playing every position on the field besides pitcher and catcher. However, he figures to slot into two positions where the Red Sox offense has struggled to get much production from.
The Red Sox' middle infield has seen its depth all but depleted in recent weeks as both utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa and shortstop Marcelo Mayer have gone down with forearm injuries, leaving Tsung-Che Cheng, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler to cover second base and shortstop in their absence. Gonzalez's return is a welcome sight for that unit that badly needed reinforcements.
Whether it be Mayer, Monasterio, Seigler, Kiner-Falefa, or the injured Nick Sogard, the Red Sox have struggled to get much offensively from their rotating cast of second basemen. Entering Sunday night's finale against the Yankees, the Red Sox ranked at or near the bottom of the league in production from the position, including a league-worst 66 weighted runs created plus (wRC+).
Interim manager Chad Tracy has cautioned that Gonzalez won't be available on a nightly basis to play second, but the 29-year-old should provide much more of a spark than the five players Boston has used at the position thus far.
Gonzalez has, however, seen some struggles at the position defensively. His -1 outs above average in 288 innings at the position ranked tied for 29th among all fielders with at least 250 innings played at second in 2025.
Much like second base, the Red Sox have used a rotating cast of nine players at designated hitter in 2026, struggling to get much production from the position. Through the first 81 games of the season, Red Sox designated hitters rank 23rd in batting average (.228) and on-base percentage (.302), 26th in slugging percentage (.340), and 27th in wRC+ (76).
With Gonzalez unable to play second on a nightly basis, he figures to handle the bulk of the load at DH when he isn't in the field.
The Red Sox, of course, have Willson Contreras, who has not only been the most consistent presence in the Boston lineup but also one of the best defensive first basemen in baseball. However, the 34-year-old is on pace to play over 200 more innings at the position than in 2025. Gonzalez has played 461.1 innings at first during his time in Boston, posting a defensive runs saved of three. He figures to spell Contreras at first to give the veteran an occasional day off.
Regardless of where Gonzalez finds himself playing on a nightly basis, he figures to be a major boost to a Red Sox lineup that has struggled mightily through their first 81 games of the season,
The Red Sox are 36-46 and in last place in the American League East.
Remember to join our RED SOX on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Red Sox fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!
Continue reading...
The Red Sox' middle infield has seen its depth all but depleted in recent weeks as both utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa and shortstop Marcelo Mayer have gone down with forearm injuries, leaving Tsung-Che Cheng, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler to cover second base and shortstop in their absence. Gonzalez's return is a welcome sight for that unit that badly needed reinforcements.
Second base
Whether it be Mayer, Monasterio, Seigler, Kiner-Falefa, or the injured Nick Sogard, the Red Sox have struggled to get much offensively from their rotating cast of second basemen. Entering Sunday night's finale against the Yankees, the Red Sox ranked at or near the bottom of the league in production from the position, including a league-worst 66 weighted runs created plus (wRC+).
Interim manager Chad Tracy has cautioned that Gonzalez won't be available on a nightly basis to play second, but the 29-year-old should provide much more of a spark than the five players Boston has used at the position thus far.
Gonzalez has, however, seen some struggles at the position defensively. His -1 outs above average in 288 innings at the position ranked tied for 29th among all fielders with at least 250 innings played at second in 2025.
Designated hitter
Much like second base, the Red Sox have used a rotating cast of nine players at designated hitter in 2026, struggling to get much production from the position. Through the first 81 games of the season, Red Sox designated hitters rank 23rd in batting average (.228) and on-base percentage (.302), 26th in slugging percentage (.340), and 27th in wRC+ (76).
With Gonzalez unable to play second on a nightly basis, he figures to handle the bulk of the load at DH when he isn't in the field.
First base
The Red Sox, of course, have Willson Contreras, who has not only been the most consistent presence in the Boston lineup but also one of the best defensive first basemen in baseball. However, the 34-year-old is on pace to play over 200 more innings at the position than in 2025. Gonzalez has played 461.1 innings at first during his time in Boston, posting a defensive runs saved of three. He figures to spell Contreras at first to give the veteran an occasional day off.
Regardless of where Gonzalez finds himself playing on a nightly basis, he figures to be a major boost to a Red Sox lineup that has struggled mightily through their first 81 games of the season,
The Red Sox are 36-46 and in last place in the American League East.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Remember to join our RED SOX on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Red Sox fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!
Continue reading...
