Red Sox infielder Brendan Rodgers likely to need surgery amid Red Sox roster push

A Gold Glove infielder might not make the Boston Red Sox’s Opening Day roster.

The Red Sox signed Brendan Rodgers on Feb. 9 as a depth option for their infield. The seven-year infielder only played 43 games with the Houston Astros last season, but he is Trevor Story’s former teammate. It would have been possible that the former Colorado Rockies stars could have reunited to form Boston’s middle infield.

That changed when Rodgers dove to his left to retrieve a hard line drive off the bat of Minnesota Twins shortstop Brooks Lee. He briefly snow-coned the liner, but the ball popped out of his glove upon the hard impact to the ground. Rodgers immediately was in pain and left the Feb. 25 exhibition game with Red Sox trainers.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters Tuesday that Rodgers’ MRI and CT scan “weren’t positive” and that the 29-year-old would seek a second opinion, per The Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo.

“Most likely he’s going to end up in surgery,” Cora said. “What type of surgery? I don’t know. We’ll wait and see what he has to say but that’s probably what’s going to happen.”

Rodgers already has undergone one surgery on each of his shoulders. The veteran suffered a torn labrum during his rookie season in 2019 and underwent surgery. In 2023, he suffered what was later diagnosed as a tear in his left labrum in spring training, requiring surgery.

It’s not clear what the Opening Day infield will look like for the Red Sox, but it’s likely Rodgers won’t be an option for Cora to consider.

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