The Boston Red Sox thought they had their 13 position players figured out for Opening Day in just a few weeks. However, those plans were thrown out the window with the Romy Gonzalez injury. He’s reportedly unlikely to be ready to go when Boston opens on March 26 in Cincinnati, so now Alex Cora has some extra work to do.
On the positive side, the Red Sox do have a few weeks to figure out who will take the final bench spot. On Monday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic wrote that veteran infielder Andruw Monasterio has a strong chance to win the job.
“While the last bench spot normally would go to an outfielder, the Red Sox already have four outfielders in the mix,” McCaffrey wrote. “Newcomer Andruw Monasterio, acquired in the Durbin trade, appears to have a leg up on a bench role early in camp. Monasterio has impressed Cora and hit lefties well last season in a limited sample (.837 OPS in 50 plate appearances). This trait could make up for what the Red Sox will lack without Gonzalez, who has been among the best hitters against lefties in the league the past two seasons.”
Monasterio will have big shoes to fill in the infield as Gonzalez was expected to be a utility man similar to Isiah Kiner-Falefa. He will also be expected to play frequently against left-handed pitching based on McCaffrey’s note from above. Monasterio has a .672 career OPS, so he will need to be closer to league average to really make up for not having Gonzalez.
The veteran will benefit from the Red Sox having four outfielders in their lineup more often than not, as Cora will likely utilize Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu or Jarren Duran as a designated hitter more often than not. This could be the opportunity for him to prove that he belongs in the big leagues.
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