The Boston Red Sox are trying to complete a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees on Sunday, and they’re getting some help. Infielder Romy Gonzalez is expected to be activated from the injured list in time for the game, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive. The team hasn’t made it official yet, but everything points to him being in the lineup.
Gonzalez has been out all season recovering from shoulder surgery. He hasn’t played a single game in 2026. But if he looks anything like the guy who showed up in 2025, this could be a huge lift for a Red Sox team that’s been stuck at 35-46, 12.5 games back in the AL East. Those three straight wins over the Yankees have been nice, but this team needs more than a hot weekend.
Last year Gonzalez was the team’s best hitter by average. He slashed .305 over 96 games with nine homers, 53 RBIs and six stolen bases. Those home run and RBI totals were career highs. For a guy who came into the league as more of a utility infielder, that kind of production was unexpected. But it’s also only one season of elite hitting. His career line is .269 with 20 homers and 109 RBIs. So the question is: Was 2025 the real Romy Gonzalez, or just a career year that caught the league off guard?
The Red Sox are betting on the former. And honestly, they don’t have much to lose at this point. The season is pretty much shot in terms of the division race. But you can still build something for next year. Getting Gonzalez back for the second half gives Boston a chance to see if his 2025 numbers were a fluke or a foundation.
If the infielder picks up where he left off, the lineup suddenly gets deeper. He can play second, short and third, which gives manager Alex Cora flexibility. And with the Yankees in town, a sweep would send a message even if the standings don’t reflect it. Momentum is a weird thing in baseball. One good series can flip the vibe in the clubhouse. If Gonzalez adds a bat that makes the lineup dangerous from top to bottom, maybe the Red Sox stop being a team everyone writes off.
Either way, Sunday’s game will be his first real test since the surgery. The shoulder looked fine in camp before he went down. Now it’s go time.
Leave a Comment