One of the main concerns for many Sox fans has been what the club would decide to do with Will Middlebrooks upon Youkilis' return, as the young third baseman has taken off since being called up. It sounds like Youkilis' return might not mean Middlebrooks is heading back to Pawtucket.
CBSSports.com reports that the Red Sox are entertaining the idea of giving Youkilis some time at first base when he returns. If that were to happen, it would mean that Adrian Gonzalez would also see time in the outfield. It would not be a permanent move, of course, as Youkilis would also see plenty of action at third base.
As the CBS report points out, it's safe to assume that both Youkilis and Gonzalez will sign off on the shakeup. Both veterans have had time at their secondary positions, especially Youkilis. He actually won a Gold Glove at first base in 2007. Gonzalez, on the other hand, was serviceable in limited time in the outfield during interleague play when he was moved to right field to give David Ortiz some innings at first base.
UPDATE: Youkilis has been activated prior to Tuesday night's game. He's in the lineup and playing first base, while Gonzalez is playing right field. See the full lineup here.
