Alex Cora Saw This Growth From Red Sox First Base Option

BOSTON — Romy Gonzalez will be in the spotlight for a few weeks as the Red Sox try out a platoon at first base.

The Boston infielder already got regular reps at first base against left-handed pitchers even before the season-ending injury Triston Casas suffered last week. Now, Gonzalez will move forward as the solution in the immediate term in a platoon role with Abraham Toro.

Gonzalez is a versatile defender with an improving bat and some speed on the bases. He’s an evolving depth player who particularly caught Alex Cora’s eye last spring training with a home run against the Minnesota Twins.

“I knew about him, I heard about him,” Cora said Wednesday. “Miami, the White Sox, all that. Very physical. Good athlete. He was coming from surgery, the rehab that offseason.”

Gonzalez slashed .327/.382/.449 for an .831 OPS in 16 games this season, with 10 of those coming at first base. The Red Sox clearly value him and Cora appreciates his role on the roster.

“Last year, he did an amazing job,” Cora added. “He was one of the best right-handed hitters against lefties if you look at the under-the-hood numbers. He did a great job for us last year. Very mature. Understands his job. He’s doing an amazing job for us right now.”

Whether Gonzalez improves enough as the long-term option, there’s certainly still room for improvement who has spent most of his MLB career filling in at different spots. The Red Sox will ask him to do that again at first base in a crucial period for the roster.

“He’s still working on a few things,” Cora explained. “Just being comfortable around the bag because he’s such a good athlete, we kind of push him off the bag. Sometimes he has trouble getting there. It’s something that we have to pay attention to. It’s been OK.”