The Boston Red Sox are srill as good as out of the running for a playoff spot, but they could use any offensive boost they can get, just to spare the fans from more non-competitive games. Thankfully, Romy Gonzalez may soon be ready to give them a boost.
After undergoing shoulder surgery during spring training, Gonzalez has reached his rehab assignment with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. The utility player got off to a hot start with a homer in his first game and went hitless in the second. He's also notched a strikeout, a walk and two RBI.
Before Boston's Thursday game against the Toronto Blue Jays, interim Red Sox manager Chad Tracy shared some updates on Gonzalez's rehab timeline. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, there's a chance Gonzalez could be activated before the end of the Sox's upcoming, six-game West Coast road trip, but it's more likely he's activated June 25-28 when the New York Yankees visit Fenway Park.
This is great news for the Red Sox who are desperate for a spark. Gonzalez will bring one if he can replicate his offensive production from last season, when he broke out to slash .305/.343/.483 over 96 games.
Red Sox could send Roman Anthony to 60-day IL or demote 2 others to activate Romy Gonzalez
Boston will have to make a corresponding move or two to get Gonzalez a roster spot. Most of the Sox's injured players (Garrett Crochet, Kutter Crawford, Patrick Sandoval, Johan Oviedo, Triston Casas and Trevor Story) are on the 60-day inured list and therefore can't be moved. But Roman Anthony could.
Anthony has been out of action since May 5 with a carpometacarpal (CMC) ligament tear in his fourth finger. According to a June 16 report from Ian Browne of MLB.com, an MRI showed that Anthony's finger is healing, but he's still not swinging a bat. He's already been on the IL for over 40 days and he'll need some time to build up and take a rehab assignment before his return to the Sox — he could be another 60-day IL candidate. It only kicks the roster move can down the road until Anthony returns from his injury
To get Gonzalez on the 26-man roster, the Sox could option Nate Eaton (and if they don't want to put Anthony on the 60-day IL, they could designate him for assignment to make a 40-man spot). The Red Sox called Eaton up on June 8 after optioning reliever Joe La Sorsa to Worcester and Eaton has taken just three at-bats in three appearances.
The Sox could also option Andruw Monasterio, who's been struggling lately with a .188/.235/.344 slash line in his last 15 games. Monasterio and Gonzalez also have similar skillsets as utility infielders with a particular talent for hitting lefties.
The Red Sox have a few roster move options to fit the 2025 breakout hitter Gonzalez on their roster in the coming days. Whichever one they decide on will be worth it, as Boston is desperate for the offensive boost Gonzalez can provide.
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