Shoulder surgery officially sidelines Romy Gonzalez, a key depth piece, to start season
The Boston Red Sox will begin the 2026 season without one of their most useful depth pieces from a year ago.
Utility infielder Romy Gonzalez has been placed on the 60-day injured list after undergoing arthroscopic debridement surgery on his left shoulder earlier this week. The procedure was performed in Birmingham by Dr. Jeffrey R. Dugas, and is expected to sideline Gonzalez for at least the first two months of the season.
While the timeline could have been worse, the absence still removes an important bat from Boston’s early-season plans.
Gonzalez quietly put together the best season of his career in 2025, hitting .305 with 23 doubles, 9 home runs, 53 RBI and an .826 OPS across 96 games. The 29-year-old provided manager Alex Cora with a versatile option who could move around the infield while delivering strong production, particularly against left-handed pitching.
Gonzalez became one of the club’s most reliable platoon hitters last season, posting a .978 OPS against southpaws while gradually earning more playing time as the year progressed. By the end of the season, he had carved out a regular role, even starting all three of Boston’s postseason games against the New York Yankees.
The injury traces back to the closing days of the 2025 season, when Gonzalez initially hurt the shoulder. He had not yet resumed full baseball activities during spring training, prompting further evaluation that ultimately led to surgery.
Fortunately for Boston, the procedure was considered more of a “cleanup” operation rather than a major repair, avoiding a scenario that could have jeopardized Gonzalez’s entire 2026 campaign.
Still, his absence leaves a noticeable gap in Boston’s early-season roster construction.
Gonzalez had been expected to function as something of a Swiss Army knife for the Red Sox this year, capable of filling in at second base alongside Marcelo Mayer while also seeing time at first and third.
With Gonzalez unavailable, several players - including Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Andruw Monasterio, Nate Eaton and Anthony Seigler - could see increased opportunities as the Red Sox finalize their Opening Day roster.
Boston also used Gonzalez’s move to the 60-day injured list to create room on the 40-man roster, signing veteran reliever Danny Coulombe to help reinforce the bullpen.
For now, the Red Sox will simply hope Gonzalez’s recovery timeline holds, and that one of last season’s most quietly productive contributors can return sometime early in the summer.
Sep 30, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Romy Gonzalez (23) takes batting practice before game one of the Wildcard round of the 2025 MLB playoffs against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.