ARLINGTON, Texas –– The Red Sox have another new shortstop — sort of.

With that position a virtual merry-go-round since the departure of Nomar Garciaparra in 2004, management has tried to solidify shortstop with a bevy of players, starting with Orlando Cabrera (2004), then Edgar Renteria (2005), Alex Gonzalez (2006) Julio Lugo (2007 to 2009), Jed Lowrie (2008, 2009) and Nick Green (2009).

Lugo and Lowrie battled for the starting job during spring training this year before both were placed on the disabled list with injuries to start the season. That left Green, the last player invited to camp as a non-roster invitee, as the starting shortstop.

When Lugo returned, he was given an opportunity to win the starting job, but struggled mightily defensively and was eventually designated for assignment before he was traded to the Cardinals. Lowrie’s return from wrist surgery was brief. He found himself back on the DL recently after seeing action in only 19 games this season. Green has done the job when called upon, but management wanted a veteran for the remainder of the season.

Enter Gonzalez — again.

The Sox acquired the 32-year-old shortstop from the Reds on Friday in exchange for Kris Negron. Gonzalez will be activated on Saturday. That will likely mean the end of Chris Woodward, who was claimed off waivers from the Mariners on Aug. 7.

“All year, coming out of spring training everybody thought we had a couple of shortstops and then the season starts and we don’t have any shortstops,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “Greeny steps in and saves the day for us. We went through some inconsistencies with Lugo and we’ve been over that and he’s not here. When we got Jed back, we took a sigh of relief, but he’s not available because of the wrist. What Greeny has done is admirable. Without him, we’d be lost. But getting a guy who can catch the ball like Gonzy is probably really going to help us.”

Gonzalez, an All-Star defender, had a phenomenal season with the Sox in ’06. He committed only seven errors and recorded a .985 fielding percentage along with 163 putouts and 305 assists. He flashed the leather time and time again and it seemed as though the Sox had found their guy for the future.

That, however, didn’t happen.

“Everything that could go wrong did in ’06,” said Francona. “At the end of the year I think Gonzy was frustrated. He had the oblique pull and we had made so many moves. We brought [Dustin] Pedroia up and he wasn’t hitting and we’re trying to get offense from the shortstop position. Gonzy was a little frustrated when he left. A lot of things went wrong at the end of that year and what I said at the time was he was one of the best shortstops I had ever seen and having one of the best seasons I’ve ever seen. He made plays that would make you shake your head. That’s really welcome.”

Once again Green finds himself as the odd man out.

With Gonzalez back in the mix, Green returns to the utility role where he fill in at third, short, second and the even outfield, if needed. In fact, he didn’t know until he arrived in the clubhouse Friday afternoon about the transaction and was told by teammate Kevin Youkilis.

“It is what it is. I really don’t have any thoughts on it. I have to do what they tell me to do,” said Green. “You’re playing in a market where you know [management] is going to pick people up because they want to win. You just go with the flow.

“I haven’t seen [Gonzalez] play in a while, but he’s an unbelievable shortstop. If he can play like the Alex Gonzalez I know, he should help the team out.”

Meanwhile, Lowrie is ready to “tap out” or say “uncle” with all this adversity he’s dealt with this season.

Lowrie returned from Arizona on Thursday where he met with Dr. Sheridan, the doctor who performed his surgery, and had some good news for Sox management. There’s no permanent damage to his surgically repaired wrist and the tingling sensation he was feeling is normal. But there’s still inflammation in the wrist where the incision was made during the procedure.

“We’ll just take it day-by-day and I’m going to get into a little more strenuous rehab and try to get myself ready so when I can come off the DL, I’m ready to go,” said Lowrie, who eligible to to be activated on Aug. 23. He’s optimistic he’ll be ready. He’s thought that before, too.

This season “hasn’t gone as planned or as I thought it would,” he said. “It is what it is. Guys have battled through tougher things than this and come back. At this point all that matters is what I do from here forward. I know whenever I get over this everything will be okay. I’m confident in that.”

The addition of Gonzalez doesn’t mean the Sox are giving up on Lowrie.

“This does nothing to diminish how we feel about Jed,” said Francona. “At the same time, we’ve lost him a couple of times and there are no guarantees and we have to protect our season. We’re trying to win right now.”

That’s why Gonzalez is back in town.

jmcdonal@projo.com