The Boston Red Sox have had plenty of drama this offseason but few have compared to what’s going on at first base. After Triston Casas was lost for the season with a knee injury, the Red Sox have been rebuffed by Rafael Devers and even had Kristian Campbell take ground balls at first, but haven’t found a permanent solution.
Although Campbell was rumored to have a start at first base over the weekend, that never happened and we now know why. The Red Sox received some reinforcements to their first base problem on Monday, and it may be enough to answer the team’s prayers at first base in the short term.
Red Sox Activate Romy González From Injured List Ahead of Series Opener vs. Angels
The Red Sox announced they have reinstated Romy González from the injured list and optioned outfielder Nate Eaton to Triple-A Worcester ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Angels. González will return to the starting lineup immediately and bat fifth at first base against Angels starter Tyler Anderson.
González has stepped in for the Red Sox at first base since Casas’s injury and has performed well at the plate. While he’s still looking for his first home run, he’s hit .308/.362/.423 with six RBI and three stolen bases in 17 games. The 28-year-old has also performed admirably on the defensive side, posting zero in the defensive runs saved metric.
While González won’t remind anyone of Jimmie Foxx or Mo Vaughn, he at least has a chance to stabilize first base without weakening another position. While Campbell was willing to play at first base, the Red Sox would probably like to have him focus on second base and the outfield to help get him out of his hitting slump, where he’s hit .133/.179/.167 over his past 24 games. It would also be nice to stop asking Devers when he’s going to play first base and have a consistent option for the next several months.
Either way, the question of “Who’s playing first?” has been answered for now.