Red Sox Might Be Getting Romy Gonzalez Back At Perfect Time

Is the return of Romy Gonzalez about to revive the Boston Red Sox's awful season? Probably not, but an influx of competency certainly won't hurt.

Gonzalez, who was one the Red Sox's unsung heroes last year, has spent the entire season to this point on the injured list after undergoing shoulder surgery during spring training. But his rehab stint with Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester has carried him to the precipice of a big-league return.

Now, according to Boston interim manager Chad Tracy, Gonzalez's debut could come in very short order.

Gonzalez returning for Yankees finale?

After six games on rehab, in which Gonzalez has struggled to the tune of a .111 batting average, Tracy said Saturday that the utility man had a chance to return to the majors for Sunday's series finale at Fenway Park against the New York Yankees.

“From Romy’s standpoint, he feels physically healthy, he feels good in the box, so that’s all that matters,” Tracy said, per Greg Dudek of the Boston Herald. “You’re more concerned about the physical health of the player than how many hits they’re getting. But I know he said he feels physically good and he’s just mainly tinkering with stuff to get his timing right.”

Gonzalez might be returning at the perfect time, if such a thing even exists for these Red Sox. Boston won the first two games of this Yankees series, and as this piece was being written, led 4-0 early in Game 3 against longtime New York ace Gerrit Cole.

Sunday's game was slated to be started by Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón, which is an obvious spot for Gonzalez, the lefty-killer, to get back in. It's worth noting, though, that Rodón has dominated Gonzalez so far in his career, with a 1-for-13 regular-season ledger that includes a double.

Even if the Red Sox are going nowhere no matter what, a four-game sweep against the Yankees could be the high point of the whole season, so if it's on the table and Gonzalez is able to help them get it, his return could wind up coming at the picture-perfect moment.

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