Red Sox’ Romy Gonzalez doesn’t expect to be ready for Opening Day roster

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Red Sox infielder Romy Gonzalez said he doesn’t expect to be ready for Opening Day.

He dealt with shoulder inflammation throughout the offseason and underwent a PRP injection before spring training.

“Honestly, I don’t think so,” Gonzalez said at JetBlue Park on Wednesday. “At this point, I think the ramp-up would be a little too quick and it’d be a disservice I feel like to myself and the team if I’m not ready to roll and have a good build up.”

Gonzalez still is not participating in baseball activities.

“Staying in baseball shape as close as possible, like running with the team, doing all the agility stuff, base running,” Gonzalez said. “We’re gonna check in here next Friday and then see where we go from there.”

The versatile 29-year-old right-handed hitter said he hurt his shoulder late last season during the Red Sox’ Sept. 19-21 series at Tampa Bay. Imaging showed the inflammation.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to start hitting next Friday, to be honest,” Gonzalez said. “But it’s just another evaluation with the training staff.”

Gonzalez batted .305 with a .343 on-base percentage, .483 slugging percentage and .826 OPS in 96 games (341 plate appearances) last season. He had a .331/.378/.600/.978 line in 143 plate appearances vs. left-handed pitchers.

“He hit the ball hard, not only against lefties,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He did well against right towards the end. His expected numbers were really, really good. And then you look at the way he hit the ball right it was up there with the (Aaron) Judges of the world and all that.”

With Gonzalez out this spring, the Red Sox are taking a look at other utility infielder candidates. To date, Andruw Monasterio, acquired in the trade that saw the Sox land Caleb Durbin, has emerged as the most likely candidate to make the Opening Day roster. Like Gonzalez, he can play several infield spots and also has hit lefthanded pitching well (.837 OPS last year) in the past.

“It sucks where he’s at right now, health-wise,” Cora said. “But we’ll get him there and he’s part of the solution. Hopefully we take the right steps to get him right and he’ll join us whenever he joins us.”

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