WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Romy Gonzalez’s fantastic night as the Red Sox’ leadoff man ended early Tuesday, but he appears to have avoided a serious knee injury.
Gonzalez left a 6-0 win in the middle of the second inning with left knee soreness. Manager Alex Cora said Gonzalez is day-to-day and the infielder wasn’t worried about the issue after the game. He’ll likely have Wednesday off before a team off day Thursday.
“A lot better. Night and day,” Gonzalez said. “Left knee just kinda locked up on me when I was going out there to play defense. Nothing too serious. Structurally, everything’s good. Hoping to be ready to go by Friday.”
Gonzalez led off the game with a solo homer off Jeffrey Springs, then plated teammate Nick Sogard with an RBI double in the top of the second before leaving the game in the middle of the same frame. He was replaced at first base by Nathaniel Lowe.
His homer was his ninth of the year — and seventh against a lefty.
“Just get a good pitch to hit,” he said of his approach. “Put a good swing on a pitch. He left the slider middle-middle and I did some damage on it.”
Gonzalez is key to Boston’s offensive attack against lefties. Along with Rob Refsnyder, who hit a booming, 463-foot three-run homer in the first inning, Gonzalez has been one of the best hitters in baseball against southpaws this season. Even before his two extra-base hits Tuesday, he ranked eighth in the majors in average (.336) and slugging percentage (.597) and OPS (.983) against lefties among players with 100 plate appearances or more.
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