The Red Sox’s biggest problem over the past few years (position-wise) has easily been second base. Since beloved franchise star Dustin Pedroia retired, the glove at second has gone through several players, from Brock Holt and Kike Hernandez to Jose Peraza and Christian Arroyo. Since Kristian Campbell flamed out quickly in the majors (at least for now), the Red Sox have found themselves in that cycle again. However, one of the more consistent names over the past couple of seasons seems to be coming back soon.
Romy Gonzalez Starts Rehab Stint In Portland
Romy Gonzalez was one of the more important bench/utility players on last year’s playoff team. In 96 games he hit .305 with nine homers and 53 RBIs. Along with Rob Refsnyder, he was a key piece outside the starting nine in the Red Sox’s push to the playoffs last year. Defensively, he had three errors in 42 games, with a DRS of -1. As seen, he’s not the best fielder. But his ability to make contact (.378 BABIP) and get on base (.343) is what makes him valuable on this squad. This is seen through his 2.1 WAR, which ranked ninth among Boston batters in ’25 (eighth if Rafael Devers is excluded).
He has yet to make his debut this season, however, with a left shoulder injury that’s kept him out since the end of last season. However, he has started his rehab stint at the Double A level in Portland and has already seemed to make an impact.
ROMY GONZALEZ GOES DEEP IN HIS FIRST REHAB GAME! I HAVE MISSED THAT SWING VERY MUCH!
(Also, not even a lefty) pic.twitter.com/OjoGKobuF3
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) June 16, 2026
Gonzalez’s Impact In Boston
Gonzalez may not be a standout in the lineup like Wilyer Abreu was last season or how Willson Contreras is now. But he can do some great things with the Sox. He’s in the 95th percentile for average exit velocity at 93.3 mph and the 99th percentile for Hard Hit % at 57.3%. His spray chart shows he’s versatile and can hit it to any area of the field.
He’s able to hit breaking pitches really well, bolstering a .327 average in ‘25. But the key thing for this team is he can really hit lefties. He’s not a slugger or anything, but a .331 average is more than serviceable. With RISP, he hit .315. It just seems that batting-wise, excluding power, any problems that they have this year could be solved by Gonzalez coming back to this roster.
Red Sox’s Current Second Base Situation
Currently, second base is wide open for this Boston team. With Trevor Story going down with an injury and having then-second baseman Marcelo Mayer move back to his natural position at shortstop, there’s a plethora of guys playing the position so far: Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler, and Nick Sogard all have taken time there this season too.
But it would be nice to have consistency at the position. Kiner-Falefa’s on a one-year deal currently, while everyone else is around till at least 2029, including Gonzalez. While obviously, not all of them can be up in the majors at the same time, if Gonzalez has a return to form upon coming back to Boston, he would be the best option, almost by far.
The Last Word: Will Romy Gonzalez Be Good Post-Rehab?
Only time will tell whether he can return to proper form at the majors immediately after being out so long. And while defensively, there’s not a whole lot to look at (-4 DRS for his career at that position). But his productive bat would add a breath of fresh air to this lineup looking for consistent hitting that isn’t Abreu, Contreras, or Ceddane Rafaela.
This offense, while being 11th in batting average, is struggling in almost every other department, ranking in the bottom 10 for hits, OBP, and OPS and second worst in homers, RBIs, runs, and walks. Bringing a guy back who can get on base and get runners to score should surely help.
Main Image Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
