ROMY GONZALEZ'S RED SOX RETURN DELAYED BY HIP FLEXOR INJURY

Romy Gonzalez's rehabilitation assignment with the Boston Red Sox encountered a setback on Friday when hip flexor soreness forced him to leave a Double-A game after two plate appearances. The 29-year-old had begun his rehab assignment following shoulder surgery in March, which caused him to miss the entire season to that point. The Red Sox are conducting further evaluation to determine the extent of the injury and establish next steps for the player's recovery.

Gonzalez had shown encouraging progress during his initial rehab appearances, homering in his first game on Tuesday whilst playing second base and appearing as a designated hitter on Wednesday. Boston's interim manager Chad Tracy had previously indicated there was an outside possibility that Gonzalez could rejoin the team during a series against the Rockies scheduled for the following week. The organisation had originally planned for Gonzalez to remain at Double-A through the weekend before progressing to Triple-A Worcester for further at-bats, with the Yankees series at Fenway viewed as a more likely target timeframe.

The Red Sox stated they would monitor both Gonzalez's health and overall readiness before finalising a return date. His timeline for rejoining the active roster has become unclear following the hip flexor issue. No confirmed date for his return has been provided by the club.