Just as the Boston Red Sox offense was starting to get healthy with the returns of infielder Trevor Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa and outfielder Roman Anthony, the team was hit with another wave of the injury bug, losing All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras to the injured list thanks to a left hamstring strain. In addition to Contreras’ stint on the IL, Boston has also been without All-Star center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela for the last two games as he nurses a sore quad. 

As a result of Contreras' absence, the hot-hitting utility man Mickey Gasper has taken over duties at first base. However, Gasper shifting to first base has limited interim manager Chad Tracy’s ability to play the platoon advantage, lifting Gasper when left-handed pitchers are on the mound in favor of lefty-killer Jahmai Jones. 

With the return of Kiner-Falefa making his role redundant, could the Red Sox swap underperforming utility man Andruw Monasterio for Romy Gonzalez, who was optioned to Triple-A on Aug. 4? 

After an incredible month of July playing shortstop in Story’s absence, Monasterio has struggled at the plate, hitting just .226/.292/.280/.572 since Aug. 1, all while seeing his playing time diminished thanks to the emergence of Nick Sogard as the everyday second baseman paired with Story’s return. Meanwhile, since being sent to Triple-A, Gonzalez has appeared to have found his timing at the plate that was missing after the 29-year-old missed the first 81 games of the season. In 17 games for Worcester, Gonzalez is hitting .371/.423/.557/.980 with three home runs, four doubles, and 16 RBIs. 

Thanks to his incredible defensive prowess, Kiner-Falefa is expected to handle the bulk of the work at shortstop when Story isn't playing, rather than Monasterio, who is profiled as one of the worst defensive players at the position. Gonzalez, like Jones, is best known for his ability to hammer left-handed pitching, sporting a career slash line of .289/.338/.510/.848 against southpaws. 

Gonzalez, like Monasterio, has plenty of positional versatility, having played all across the infield in his five-year major league career. However, unlike Monasterio, Gonzalez can play first base, which would allow Tracy to play the platoon with Gasper without having to reshuffle his entire infield, sliding Sogard to first and inserting a new second baseman. All while saving Jones for a potential pinch-hit opportunity for the struggling Jarren Duran.  

Given Gonzalez’s strong performance in Worcester, paired with Monasterio’s recent struggles, the team should at least consider giving the 29-year-old another look at the big-league level prior to the conclusion of the regular season. 

The Red Sox will look to secure a series win over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday afternoon in game three of four from Camden Yards. Sonny Gray (16-4, 2.82) will return to the mound for Boston after seeing his start day pushed back in order to get extra rest. Veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt (6-4, 4.97 ERA) will get the start for Baltimore. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET.