Romy Gonzalez Injury Update
Romy Gonzalez left Tuesday's game against the Athletics after just two innings due to left knee soreness, a scary moment for Red Sox fans, considering how hot the guy’s been swinging the bat lately. The 29-year-old extended his MLB-best hitting streak to 12 games before the knee “just kind of locked up,” as he put it, after an explosive leadoff homer and an RBI double, so in true Romy fashion, he exited while batting 1.000 for the night, both literally and in the hearts of Boston faithful. Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) reported on Twitter that the Red Sox announced Romy Gonzalez exited the game due to left knee soreness.
Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) also noted on Twitter that while Connelly Early added another strikeout, the downside was Romy Gonzalez having to leave the game.
Granted, when someone’s on a tear like Gonzalez batting .311, nine homers, 48 RBIs, an OPS pushing .852, you start thinking the man’s made of Teflon. But knees are knees, even for ironmen. Word right now from the Red Sox camp is that the injury doesn’t sound too serious. Gonzalez himself expects to be back Friday for the big Fenway showdown against the Yankees, and he’ll just take a breather for Wednesday’s game, almost like a well-earned spa day (well, minus the cucumber water).
Still, when he left, it was Nathaniel Lowe stepping in at first, and if Gonzalez does end up needing extra downtime, Nick Sogard and David Hamilton may see more reps at second. It’s a shuffled infield, but that’s September baseball. It’s almost comic how someone can go from hero to out for the night to hopefully back on Friday in the span of a few hours, but baseball’s weird like that. If you’re keeping score, Gonzalez is not just Boston’s most consistent righty-bat lately; he’s also tied for the unofficial clubhouse title of “Most Likely To Be Cheered By Hot Dog Vendors After A Four-RBI Game.”
Seriously, the guy’s become a catalyst at the top of the order, especially hammering lefties to the tune of a .347 average and a 1.032 OPS. Here’s hoping the knee’s just cranky and not cursed, because Gonzalez’s at-bats have been appointment viewing for anyone in Red Sox Nation craving a little grit, a little pop, and that glorious leadoff swagger.
