The Red Sox have one regular-season game left on Sunday before their wild-card series with the Yankees opens Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, and Boston has a simple roster call to make: get Romy Gonzalez on the playoff roster.
The cleanest move would be to swap out Andruw Monasterio for Gonzalez. Monasterio has filled a useful depth role for Boston this season, but Gonzalez brings a much louder bat, and right now that matters. He’s been scorching in Triple-A, he helped shoulder first-base duties last season, and he’s already shown he can do damage against Max Fried, who is expected to start Game 1 for the Yankees, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
Red Sox fans already know the profile. Gonzalez punishes left-handed pitching.
That was a big reason he had such a major role in 2025. This season started with him on the Injured List, and when he was finally promoted, he struggled in 19 games.
But Boston’s offense was thin at the time, and the club may have asked too much of him too quickly. He hasn’t appeared in a big league game since July 29 after being sent down, and the bat has been loud ever since.
Since Aug. 25, Gonzalez has hit .388/.456/.633 with a 1.089 OPS, along with two home runs, 13 RBIs, seven walks, six doubles and eight runs scored. That kind of production is hard to ignore, especially when the postseason is here.
The matchup history only adds to the case. Gonzalez has seen Fried a handful of times and is 2-for-7 against him with a triple and two walks.
His numbers against lefties last season were even more convincing. In 2025, Gonzalez slashed .331/.378/.600 with a .978 OPS versus left-handed pitching, adding seven homers and 25 RBIs.
And the Yankees’ likely pitching path makes the decision even more obvious. Fried is expected in Game 1, then right-hander Cam Schlittler would likely go in Game 2.
If the series reaches a Game 3, Boston could see either lefty Carlos Rodón or righty Gerrit Cole. With the possibility of two elite left-handers in the series, the Red Sox have a clear reason to carry another right-handed bat who can hurt them.
With Willson Contreras up in the air, Boston should be leaning into that strength. Monasterio has done his job, but Gonzalez offers more offensive upside and a much better fit for this matchup. He’s hot, he handles lefties, and he should be on the Red Sox playoff roster even though he won’t finish the regular season in the majors.
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Red Sox Have 3 Under The Radar October Roster Decisions
As the Red Sox sort through the last layer of their postseason puzzle, a few names that have not always sat at the center of the conversation are suddenly carrying real weight. Romy Gonzalez, Alec Gamboa and Jahmai Jones all bring different kinds of utility to a roster that has to account for injuries, matchup issues and the squeeze of October roster construction, and each has a path to becoming more than just a depth option if Boston needs the right specialist at the right time.
Gonzalez can help against left-handed pitching and give the club some cover at first base, while Gamboa has shown the kind of groundball-heavy relief work that can fit in a short series. Jones has also looked strong versus lefties since joining the Red Sox, which makes him another potentially useful piece if Boston wants to lean into matchups. The catch, of course, is that postseason benches are rarely roomy enough for everyone, and the Red Sox still have to decide which of these under-the-radar fits best into the October plan. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Have Another Injury Concern Before Yankees Series
The Red Sox finally get a day off before opening their wild-card series against the Yankees, but the pause has come with more injury uncertainty attached to it. Garrett Crochet, Tyron Guerrero and Johan Oviedo are among the players dealing with issues, and the timing matters with the postseason about to begin and every available arm and bat carrying extra weight.
Mickey Gasper is also in the mix, though his status appears especially shaky heading into the series. He has been one of the more interesting small-payroll stories on the roster, with a 2026 season that compares favorably in some ways to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., including a higher home run total and more wins above replacement despite earning the minimum salary. For a Red Sox club trying to line up the right pieces for New York, the concern is not just who is hurt, but who is actually able to help. [Read more 🡒]
Tanner Houcks Red Sox Playoff Spot Suddenly Looks Far Less Safe
The Red Soxs pitching picture tightened over the weekend, and not necessarily in the way they wanted. With Boston needing to trim its staff to 12 pitchers by Tuesday, the club shuffled arms around again, placing Tyron Guerrero on the injured list, recalling Wyatt Olds and activating Tanner Houck from the 60-day injured list. Houcks return was a notable development on its own, but his first game back did little to settle anything as the Red Sox continue sorting out who belongs in October.
The bigger question now is whether Houck has run out of time to make his case. Boston is expected to carry a postseason pitching group built around 12 other arms, and recent performance plus health concerns have put Houck on the outside of that projection for the moment. For a club trying to line up its best possible staff for a short October run, every outing and every roster decision carries extra weight, and Houcks path back into the picture suddenly looks much less secure. [Read more 🡒]