Story will play shortstop in his initial rehab games, Anthony will split time between leftfield and DH, and Kiner-Falefa\u2019s initial Triple-A game action will come at second base. Tracy said all three likely will gradually build their workloads from partial games with rest mixed into their schedules to, at a minimum, back-to-back games in which they will play all nine innings in the field.<\/p>\n
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After all of spring training and the first two months of the season recovering from shoulder surgery, Romy Gonzalez played in only six rehab games with 21 plate appearances before the Red Sox activated him from the injured list.Matthew Lee\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n
The Sox will also be mindful of avoiding shortcuts as the three players work to re-establish their timing against live pitching. Infielder Romy Gonzalez<\/b>, after missing all of spring training and the first 2 \u00bd months of the season due to shoulder surgery, played only six rehab games with 21 plate appearances before the Red Sox activated him from the injured list on June 28.<\/p>\n
In the big leagues, Gonzalez never re-established consistent timing, hitting .185\/.264\/.308 in 19 games. The Red Sox optioned him to Triple-A in early August. The organization hopes to avoid similar scenarios with this trio of returnees.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want to make sure that guys are not just physically where they\u2019re where they\u2019re capable of being, but also they feel good about where they\u2019re at timing-wise,\u201d said Tracy. \u201cWould love to thread the needle on that on how they\u2019re feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
There is, of course, an element of the unknown with players returning from long absences. Anthony \u2014 who performed like an emerging superstar in his 2025 big league debut and this year\u2019s World Baseball Classic \u2014 was hitting .229\/.354\/.321 when he suffered his injury on a check-swing.<\/p>\n
Story, after hitting 25 homers with 31 steals last year, was limited all season by an injury that started affecting him in spring training and left him with a .206\/.244\/.303 line. Kiner-Falefa was hitting .277\/.344\/.361 before too much behind-the-scenes work led to his injury.<\/p>\n
So, there are no guarantees about the production the returning players might offer or when they will rejoin the big league team to provide it. But after months of waiting for the contributors to heal, the Red Sox are excited at the prospect of figuring out how they might help.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can be impactful players, for sure,\u201d said Tracy.<\/p>\n
Masataka Yoshida<\/b> suffered a hamstring injury while sprinting into second on a double to right in the top of the third inning. After a quick trainer visit, he walked off the field in favor of pinch-runner Anthony Seigler<\/b>.<\/p>\n
Jahmai Jones<\/b> entered the game as Yoshida\u2019s replacement at DH and went 1 for 2, with an RBI single in the ninth that pushed across Andruw Monasterio<\/b> with the Red Sox\u2019 fourth run.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate,\u201d Yoshida said through a translator, noting he was sidelined for roughly a month when suffering a prior hamstring injury in Japan.<\/p>\n
Though he\u2019ll undergo additional testing in the coming days, it\u2019s likely Yoshida \u2014 hitting .274\/.347\/.399 for the year, including a .326\/.380\/.512 run in August \u2014 will land on the IL, with the Sox summoning a player from Worcester.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s going to be down for some time, but we\u2019ll get more clear answers on that,\u201d said Tracy. \u201cWe\u2019re not going to want to play [shorthanded].\u201d <\/p>\n
Opening Day starter Garrett Crochet<\/b>, meanwhile, isn\u2019t close to games. He\u2019s still throwing on flat ground from 50-60 feet.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unlikely he can contribute as anything but a reliever this year, and even then, his buildup would require no setbacks for him to contribute in 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he stays on track, maybe [pitching in the big leagues] is still feasible, but you\u2019re going to have to pass some really good benchmark checkpoints where he hits all of them,\u201d said Tracy.<\/p>\n
The Red Sox were slated to face 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes<\/b> on Sunday, but the Pirates pushed back his start. The Pirates will instead employ a bullpen game in the series finale against the Red Sox. . . . Members of the Red Sox coaching staff toured the Roberto Clemente Museum in Pittsburgh on Friday. <\/p>\n
Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @alexspeier<\/a>.<\/p>\n