Amid Rafael Devers drama, Red Sox have to scramble at 1B after putting Romy González on 10-day IL
Romy González had been one of the players filling in at first base after Casas' injury, along with Abraham Toro. But Boston had to place him on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a left quad contusion. To take González's spot on the active roster, Nick Sogard was called up from Triple-A Worcester and he's starting Saturday's game versus the Kansas City Royals at first base.
Advertisement
González suffered the injury during on Wednesday over the Texas Rangers when he collided with Texas Rangers first baseman Josh Smith after trying to beat out a throw from third base.
González appeared to be all right, tried to jog off the injury and was able to leave the field without help. But Toro replaced him at first base in the seventh inning.
Though González and manager Alex Cora thought he would be able to avoid the IL, Toro started at first base for the Red Sox in the past two games. Following Friday's 2-1 loss to the Royals, Cora said González "didn't bounce back the way we expected," necessitating the roster move.
Advertisement
In 17 games this season (starting 10 of them at first base), González is batting .308/.362/.423 with six doubles, six RBI and three stolen bases. Toro has a .143 average with a .286 OPS in five games, which is likely why the Red Sox added some infield help.
Sogard doesn't appear to be a vast improvement, hitting .188/.314/.248 with six doubles, 10 RBI and six steals in Triple-A. But he batted .273 with a .650 OPS in 31 games with Boston last season. González also should return after his IL stint, which is retroactive to May 8.
That is, unless the Red Sox make a move to bring in another first baseman or somehow convince Devers to get over his refusal to play a new position.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Venus Williams handed US Open wild card aged 45
Two-time former champion Venus Williams has been handed a wild card into this month's US Open at the age of 45. The seven-time grand slam winner made a surprise comeback to tennis earlier this summer after more than a year out of the sport. Williams showed she can still compete after beating fellow American Peyton Stearns in the first round at the Washington Open. Now the former world number one is set to become the oldest singles player to compete at Flushing Meadows since Renee Richards, aged 47 in 1981. It will be Williams' 25th appearance at the New York major, 25 years after she first won it in 2000. She is also on the entry list for the new-look mixed doubles event alongside another American, Reilly Opelka. Williams' sister Serena, who won six US Opens among her 23 grand slam titles, retired after the tournament in 2022.
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How did the Rams become L.A.'s most valuable sports franchise, soaring past $10 billion?
A decade ago, the languishing St. Louis Rams were ranked dead last in the NFL with a franchise valuation of $930 million. Today, according to Sportico rankings released Wednesday, the Rams are valued at $10.43 billion, second only to the Dallas Cowboys at $12.88 billion. The Rams, owned by developer Stan Kroenke, saw a 34% value increase from a year ago, tying them with the New York Giants for the biggest year-over-year jump. 'As we enter our 10th season back in Los Angeles, Stan Kroenke's vision to create the world's greatest sports and entertainment district at Hollywood Park — and to build one of the NFL's greatest stadiums — continues to help build the profile of the Rams and the NFL,' said Kevin Demoff, president of team and media operations for Kroenke Sports and Entertainment. 'While these rankings may reflect that, the focus remains on building great teams and a district that Angelenos can enjoy, more than focusing on valuations.' The Rams join the Lakers as the city's second sports franchise with a valuation of at least $10 billion. The Chargers, who are tenants at the Kroenke-owned SoFi Stadium, are 21st on the list at $6.2 billion, one spot up from last year. The valuations are based on the team itself, along with any businesses and real estate holdings related to the team. David Carter, principal at The Sports Business Group and adjunct professor of sports business at USC, said teams are usually valued based on a multiple of their annual revenue, and that valuation also takes into account the likelihood of future revenue growth. 'For Kroenke and the Rams, this has always meant monetizing SoFi in as many ways possible, while simultaneously positioning the venue as a global leader in sports and entertainment. Having accomplished this, and with the team's strong fan bases — both traditional and corporate — the recipe is in place to continue to achieve high valuations, especially when you also consider the team's competitiveness of late.' Read more: Rams aren't just trying to win over L.A. They strive to be 'the world's team' Attaching a number to these teams is largely an academic exercise, because the only true test comes when they are sold — and those sales are rare. Three NFL franchises have changed hands in the past 10 years: the Washington Commanders (2023), Denver Broncos (2022) and Carolina Panthers (2018). Writes Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen: 'Scarcity is a major driver in pushing team values higher, as more billionaires are minted each year and franchises are rarely added.' Check back soon for updates on this developing news story. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Micah Banuelos works to make up for lost time as USC aims to build its strongest o-line
Before he arrived at USC, Micah Banuelos was already pretty accustomed to playing through pain. As a standout offensive and defensive lineman at Kennedy Catholic High in Washington, his shoulder would pop out of its socket during almost every game. So Banuelos would check out, have his shoulder popped back in and then reenter the game like nothing changed. 'Then,' his father, Roy Banuelos, says, 'he never said anything about it after.' But when that shoulder injury lingered past high school and into his freshman season, there was no ignoring it anymore. Just weeks into his first fall at USC, the staff suggested Banuelos get surgery. It would be a while before Banuelos made his way back — and even longer still before he'd be competing for a real role on USC's offensive line. The shoulder injury robbed him of the following spring, then a knee issue nixed his second season after just a few games. But at the start of his third fall at USC, Banuelos has finally entered the mix at guard, a position at which USC is perilously unproven. Read more: Offensive lineman DJ Wingfield files lawsuit against NCAA in bid to play for USC If a federal judge doesn't grant an injunction Monday to transfer lineman DJ Wingfield in his lawsuit against the NCAA, then Banuelos will be one of many vying for the opening he leaves behind up front. Banuelos has taken considerable snaps through camp with the first-team offensive line, while redshirt freshmen Hayden Treter and Makai Saina and walk-on Kaylon Miller have also factored into the competition. It's the first time that USC coach Lincoln Riley has really gotten an extended look at Banuelos, despite the fact that he's entering his third season in L.A. 'He was probably somebody we knew the least about, just because he was hurt so much,' Riley said. 'He's getting a ton of reps right now, and so far, he's just carrying on from that. He has a lot of power. He can really move people. He can really play behind his hips. There's a lot to like about what he does, and if he stays healthy, he's really going to turn into a good player.' Riley had similar praise for Treter, who has also dealt with injuries since coming to USC. The coach called Treter 'one of the highlights of camp.' Read more: Tobias Raymond is now a key cog — and de facto grillmaster — on uncertain USC offensive line The Trojans entered the offseason in need of more consistency from their offensive line, especially with a relatively new starting quarterback in Jayden Maiava. The competition at USC's open guard spot remains one of the closest battles on the team with just over two weeks remaining until its season opener. Even Alani Noa, who started 12 of USC's 13 games, hasn't been assured of a starting spot. That uncertainty up front might be nerve-wracking to some. Riley and offensive coordinator Luke Huard insist they don't see it that way. Huard said he feels 'really, really good' about the current state of the offensive line, while Riley said he feels 'much better' now about the depth at the position than he did in spring. Read more: USC cornerback Prophet Brown suffers noncontact injury, will miss start of season 'Some of that young depth coming along, we needed that to happen,' Riley said. 'Their ascent is important not just for this year, but for the future.' It's just as critical at offensive tackle, too, where redshirt freshman Justin Tauanuu has made his own case to be a part of USC's starting front. It's possible that he slots in at right tackle, while Tobias Raymond, the projected starter there, kicks into guard to fill the void left by Wingfield. But coaches and teammates like what they've seen out of Banuelos. 'You can tell when a guy just wants to be out there and treats every day like his last,' left tackle Elijah Paige said. 'He's putting it all out here.' Read more: USC's Lincoln Riley feeling 'refreshed' as pressure mounts to win in Year 4 For a while, Banuelos could only wait for his shoulder — and then his knee — to heal. That part was excruciating, his father says, stuck in place as others made moves up the depth chart. 'He was pretty down,' Roy Banuelos said. 'I would call him and just tell him, 'It's OK, man. You'll get your time. It'll come.'' Now, with USC in desperate need of someone stepping up at guard, that time may finally have arrived. 'All he wanted to do was play football,' Roy Banuelos said. 'So his attitude now — it's night and day.' Sign up for more USC news with Times of Troy. In your inbox every Monday morning. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
