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On Thursday, Red Sox utility man Romy Gonzalez met with an orthopedic surgeon to see if he needed surgery on his balky shoulder, which has kept him out of team activities for the first month of spring training. The news he received didn’t represent a worst-case scenario, but Gonzalez will miss significant time at the start of the season after undergoing a minor procedure.
The Red Sox confirmed late Thursday that Gonzalez underwent an “arthroscopic debridement” procedure on his left, non-throwing shoulder and placed him on the 60-day injured list. That move rules him out for roughly the first two months of the regular season. The procedure was performed by Dr. Jeffrey Dugas at Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
According to sources familiar with Gonzalez’s visit with Dr. Dugas, it was recommended that Gonzalez undergo a minor “cleanup” procedure on his shoulder instead of a major surgery — like a full shoulder repair — that could threaten his season. One initial timetable, according to a source, calls for a 2-3 month recovery. There was fear heading into Gonzalez’s appointment that the prognosis could be much worse.
Gonzalez, who hit .305 with nine homers, 53 RBIs and an .826 OPS in 96 games last season while crushing left-handed pitching all year, first injured his shoulder during the last series of the regular season against the Tigers. He played through pain in the three-game Wild Card Series against the Yankees and hoped things would improve during the offseason. He then suffered a setback in January and has yet to be cleared for baseball activities, even after undergoing a PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) injection weeks ago. By last week, things had not improved enough for him to take surgery off the table.
“I have no idea what the recovery time is or anything like that,” said Gonzalez, last week, when discussing his scheduled meeting with Dr. Dugas. “I’m just waiting to find out more. Hopefully, (needing surgery) is not the case. But nothing yet.
“It’s a little more than a second opinion, I guess; it’s more of a ‘do or don’t’ when it comes to surgery. I’m just waiting to hear from him.”
Gonzalez logged time at first base (368.1 innings), second base (288 innings) and third base (12 innings) last year and was expected to see significant time at second this year, potentially as a platoon partner for the left-handed hitting Marcelo Mayer. Manager Alex Cora also said there was a chance Gonzalez could play some outfield, which he did in 2023 and 2024. Now, the Red Sox will have to lean on some other options in the second base mix. Utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa and newcomer Andruw Monasterio are the top candidates to see increased playing time with Gonzalez out. Nick Sogard and Nate Eaton could also see an increased path to at-bats. Another potential option, Brendan Rodgers, is out of the mix after suffering a serious shoulder injury in a spring game. He’s likely headed for surgery and out for most, if not all, of the season.
For Gonzalez, the news represents another setback in an injury-plagued career. He has yet to play 96 games in a major league season and, in two years with the Red Sox, has now been on the injured list four times. In 2024, he missed nearly a month with a wrist sprain in April and May, then two weeks with a hamstring strain in June. Last year, he was out for the final three weeks of May with a quad contusion. He previously had surgery on his right shoulder, performed by Dr. Dugas, in 2023. That procedure was a labrum repair.
Gonzalez’s 40-man roster spot was taken by left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe, who was signed to a one-year, $1 million deal. Boston’s 40-man roster is now full.
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