The Boston Red Sox are already down one first baseman, but they could lose another to the injured list after a nasty collision on May 7.
Romy González, Triston Casas' replacement at the corner, knocked a bouncing grounder to Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung. He fired to Josh Smith, not a first baseman by trade, who had his entire back foot on the bag as González charged in.
González tried to lean out of the way of Smith's backside, but the two players collided. González flew off his feet and landed hard on his side a few feet up the first base line. Smith was pushed forward off the bag, but was quickly up and moving. Despite the accident, González was called safe and Wilyer Abreu scored from third base.
González remained on the ground for a handful of minutes. He eventually rose to his feet to run out the injury in preparation to run the bases. Texas challenged the safe call at first base, and the umpires overturned it. Abreu's run was canceled, and González walked to the bench to grab his glove.
Romy González exits Rangers vs. Red Sox game after scary collision at first base
But he did not take the field. González stepped into the infield to test the water, but ultimately descended back into the dugout and Abraham Toro took over at first base.
After Casas' season-ending knee injury on May 3, the Red Sox have used González and Toro as their alternates at first base. There have been no trade rumors or links between Boston and a first baseman from outside the organization, and it seems the plan is to platoon González and Toro.
González is the more athletic of the two players, and he's gotten off to a solid start at the plate for the Sox. He's batting .308/.362/.423 with six doubles, three stolen bases and six RBI in 17 games. Toro has just one hit so far, but he's appeared in just three games.
There was no clear injury to González after the collision, but he landed quite hard after the fall. Hopefully, he was just shaken up and doesn't need an IL stint — if he does, the Red Sox may finally have to ask Rafael Devers to play first base.