Romy Gonzalez (shoulder, hip) ready for rehab games

Gonzalez played in his third game for Portland last night, but he exited early. It’s not yet clear how much of a setback this is, but it’s probably safe to rule out a return to Boston before the end of the month.

Gonzalez started at second base and made some noise in his rehab debut as he works his way back from a shoulder issue that put him on the shelf to open the season. The 29-year-old lefty-masher figures to play regularly for the Red Sox once he’s gotten enough at-bats under his belt to return to Boston. There’s some deep-league fantasy appeal here since Gonzalez is likely to bat in the heart of the order once he makes it back to Fenway Park.

Gonzalez will start a rehab assignment on Tuesday and missed all of spring training, so he could need at least three weeks in the minors to get his timing down. When he does return, Red Sox manager Chad Tracy made it clear that Gonzalez would play against lefties and could also DH or play second base against righties, except against “certain righties where it doesn’t make sense.” Gonzalez played 96 games for the Red Sox last season but hit .305 with nine homers, 23 doubles, 53 RBIs, and an .826 OPS. Given his multi-position eligibility, Gonzalez could be a sneaky stash in a week or two before he officially returns.

Gonzalez’s impending return will certainly improve Boston’s lineup against left-handed starters. The 29-year-old infielder has been on the shelf recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. He’ll likely require a multi-week rehab stint given the lengthy layoff from game action, but he should make it back to Fenway Park before the end of June.

Gonzalez, who is recovering from left shoulder surgery, cleared an important hurdle in his swing progression, releasing his top hand on his follow-through during batting practice swings. His surgically repaired shoulder has been able to withstand the force of those one-handed releases, which was one of the final steps before Gonzalez was deemed ready to play in games. He will likely need a lengthy rehab stint since he didn’t get any spring training at-bats, but there’s a chance he returns to Boston by the end of June.

Gonzalez had surgery on his left shoulder at the beginning of March and was confident at the time that he would return by the end of May. We still don’t have any update on his timeline, but it’s nice to see him on the field and doing baseball activities. Coming back in the next two weeks feels unlikely, but perhaps Gonzalez could return in early June, which would be a boost to the Red Sox lineup, particularly against lefties, where he would likely start over Marcelo Mayer. Gonzalez hit .305/.343/.483 with nine home runs and six steals in 341 plate appearances last year.

The 29-year-old isn’t eligible to return from the injured list until the end of May. Red Sox’ skipper Alex Cora told reporters on Saturday that Gonzalez has been going through his progression and that he feels good. If he doesn’t at least begin baseball activities soon, he may have trouble being ready to return when first eligible.

Speaking with reporters for the first time since undergoing a cleanup procedure on his left shoulder earlier this week, Gonzalez expressed confidence he’ll be ready to return when first eligible in late May. The 29-year-old infielder was placed on the 60-day injured list earlier this week. His absence creates a short-term platoon issue for the Red Sox at the cold corner because he was one of their most effective bats against left-handed pitching last year.

Gonzalez underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure on his left shoulder and is staring at a recovery time of at least two months. By placing him on the injured list on Thursday the Red Sox cleared a spot on their 40-man roster for the addition of Danny Coulombe.

Gonzalez injured his shoulder at the end of the 2026 season and has been held out of baseball activities all spring after receiving a PRP injection in February. He’s expected to be sidelined for at least two months while recovering. Since he missed the entire spring, he’ll also need extended at-bats in a minor league setting before he’s ready to join the Red Sox.