Sunday, September 27

NEW YORK – With the Trade Deadline less than two months away, one thing that is crystal clear for the Red Sox is that they need to add another right-handed bat or two.

But Boston should have one important right-handed hitter back well before the Aug. 3 deadline.

Romy Gonzalez, the versatile defender who crushes left-handed pitching and holds his own against righties, is in the final stages of his rehab from left shoulder surgery that has prevented him from playing this season.

In recent days, Gonzalez’s hitting progression took its most significant step, as he was able to follow through while releasing his surgically repaired shoulder at the end of his swing during on-field batting practice. 
Before that, Gonzalez had been limited to two-handed swings. 

For a team that has been seeking more offense all season, particularly at home, the return of Gonzalez would be significant.

In 51 games and 187 plate appearances at Fenway Park last season, Gonzalez slashed .320/.342/.500 with 14 doubles, four homers and 26 RBIs.

His biggest specialty is hammering lefties, against whom he had a line of .331/.378/.600 with seven homers and 25 RBIs in 143 plate appearances in ‘25.

“You guys are obviously well aware of what he did last year, and I think one thing that got overlooked is like it wasn't just against lefties; the guy performed against right-handed pitching as well,” said interim manager Chad Tracy. “And there's thump in the bat to all fields. So yeah, when he's healthy and on the field and feeling good, it's a formidable bat in the lineup that can do a lot of damage. So he’s versatile, and can move around the field ... that's a big add.”

Outside of Willson Contreras, the Red Sox haven’t received much production from the infield this season, which is another reason Gonzalez’s return will be beneficial.

So what does the timeline look like?

Gonzalez will continue taking one-handed swings for the next few days, and monitor how his shoulder responds. A Minor League rehab assignment could come soon after that.

The maximum time Gonzalez is permitted to take a rehab assignment is 20 days. Given that he hasn’t played any games since last October, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take close to the full 20 days.

“At least we're heading in the right direction there quickly, which is good,” said Tracy.

For all the talk about how the Red Sox wouldn’t have a role for first baseman Triston Casas following the December acquisition of Contreras, the fact of the matter is the Sox could use his power. The left-handed-hitting Casas could spell Contreras every now and again and get him his share of at-bats at DH and off the bench.

The issue is that the club has no idea when Casas will be ready to play. While he was on track to return from his ruptured left patellar tendon around May 1, the slugger had an untimely setback when he suffered a left abdominal strain. Casas is just starting to make his way back from that injury, as he’s started a light-swinging program.

Could he be in play for this season?

“I think so,” said Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. “I think [the timing of when he could play] is probably getting a little bit ahead of ourselves, given just where he is right now, but you look at what he's done when he's healthy, and he's a guy that doesn't really chase outside the strike zone, can hit the ball out of the park. Those are things that would be really, really helpful to us.”

“I think we need to run our own race. We need to make sure that we get our house in order. We need to play better. We need to win more games, and at that point we can kind of figure out where we are relative to the league.” – Breslow, when asked how to approach the Trade Deadline in a watered-down American League.

After making the difficult decision to option righty Brayan Bello to Triple-A Worcester, the Sox are all but certain to replace him in the rotation with left-hander Jake Bennett, who has flourished for Worcester this season.

Bennett is expected to pitch the Wednesday afternoon finale of a three-game series at Tropicana Field against the Rays.

This will give Boston a rotation of four lefties (Ranger Suarez, Payton Tolle, Connelly Early and Bennett) and just one righty (Sonny Gray).

In December, Breslow traded one highly touted prospect in Luis Perales to the Nationals for another in Bennett. Breslow’s reasoning behind the deal is he felt like Bennett was closer to being MLB-ready.

In two starts for the Red Sox earlier this season when Gray was on the injured list, Bennett went 1-1 with a 4.35 ERA. At Triple-A, Bennett has dazzled, posting a 1.60 ERA with nine walks and 41 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings. 

“I love the strike-throwing ability. I mean, that's the first and foremost thing that stands out, watching him, managing him in Worcester and then also here,” said Tracy.

A few weeks ago, to celebrate the start of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Red Sox brought an interactive Understanding Mental Wellness experience to local Boston middle school students. 

The event was held at the Sarah Greenwood K-8 school in which 57 kids were split into four dynamic stations blending hands-on activities with wellness education and positive mindset building.

For the kids, the best part of the event was getting to spend time with left fielder Jarren Duran, who has been open about his mental health struggles, most notably in last year’s Netflix docuseries, The Clubhouse: A Year with the Red Sox.

The event was put on in conjunction with MLB and Everfi, which have partnered to bring a digital curriculum to the classroom that introduces students to the topic of mental health and the ways in which they can implement coping strategies and access appropriate resources. 

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