It wasn't a huge shock to see Romy Gonzalez struggle badly upon his return from offseason shoulder surgery, considering the injury and subsequent recovery held him out for basically half of the 2026 season. It thus wasn't too surprising when he got demoted to Triple-A after the trade deadline, either, since there wasn't much room an improved roster for a guy hitting below the Mendoza Line with a 57 wRC+.
Nevertheless, the further he gets from his surgery, the better Gonzalez has been playing. Since getting sent back to Worcester, he's hitting a robust .306/.364/.429 with a 102 wRC+, making tons of contact while continuing to swing freely.
Though we're beyond the hope that he'd play a super-utility role for the Red Sox (at least in 2026), that kind of offensive production would be a huge boon in the lineup, especially if he carries forward the dominance he showed against southpaws last year. Will this recent surge be enough to get him a ticket back to Boston once rosters expand in September?
Romy Gonzalez needs to keep mashing in Triple-A, because the Red Sox's roster is about to get crowded
As a reminder, September roster expansions now only bump the roster from 26 to 28 players, rather than the full 40-man we used to see. Seeing as only one of those two expanded spots can go to a pitcher, that usually means teams are calling up one bat and one arm for the stretch run.
That makes Gonzalez's journey back to Boston harder, since he'll have to compete with a bunch of other position players with the WooSox for that right. And currently, that competition is steep; All of Mickey Gasper (1.038 OPS since July 23), Kristian Campbell (.996), Vinny Capra (.882), and Franklin Arias (.845) are playing excellent ball over the past month.
It helps that a few of those guys aren't on the 40-man roster — if a player isn't on that list right now, teams might be a little hesitant to call them up. Why? Because they won't be subjected to the lockout (which affects only the MLB CBA, not the MiLB one) if they're still a true minor leaguer. If there's a prospect that needs more development, a team may opt to keep him down, in an effort to keep him from missing time next year.
Still, that 40-man requirement opens the door for guys like Nate Eaton and Tsung-Che Cheng, both of whom have already spent stints with the big-league club this year. And that's before we start addressing the likes of Roman Anthony and Trevor Story, both of whom may soon be ready to return from their rehab assignments.
In other words, the odds are stacked against Gonzalez prior to the upcoming roster expansion. His history of MLB success helps his case, but he'll need to not just maintain, but improve upon, his recent hot streak if he wants to play for the Red Sox in September and October.
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