Anthony's return signals progress
Roman Anthony, the 22-year-old rising star in left field for the Red Sox, has finally reached a significant milestone in his recovery from a torn ligament in his right ring finger. Following a period of uncertainty and misdiagnosis, Anthony is now actively working through a structured swinging routine, which includes hitting off a tee and practicing with soft tosses, as reported by Ian Browne of MLB.com. This marks a key turning point for the young slugger, who had been sidelined since May 18 after continuing to feel discomfort during his initial recovery efforts. The program involves 30 swings per day, with plans for gradual progression as he regains full confidence and strength in his finger. According to Red Sox' Chad Tracy, Anthony has started swinging a bat off a tee and short flips, and has done well so far. Tracy added that there's no clear next steps yet, but if Anthony continues to progress well, the team will start talking about building out a progression to more stuff. Anthony is dealing with a partially torn carpometacarpal ligament/tendon in his right finger. It typically takes MLB players anywhere from 6-to-12 weeks to recover from this type of injury. Anthony's injury occurred exactly 12 weeks ago today. The 22-year-old is still experiencing some pain in his hand and will not swing a bat until he is completely pain-free. Barring any setbacks, it is likely that Anthony resumes swinging in the next few weeks. It will then take another few weeks for him to rehab and potentially play in rehab games. The best-case scenario for Anthony's return is likely late August. The worst-case scenario, and one that certainly can't be ruled out, is that the Red Sox opt to shut down Anthony for the season. If all goes well and Anthony is to return in late August, here is a look at Boston's schedule around that time. Sunday, August 23: Giants at Red Sox Monday, August 24: Red Sox at Marlins Tuesday, August 25: Red Sox at Marlins Wednesday, August 26: Red Sox at Marlins Friday, August 27: Red Sox at Yankees
Miscommunication led to injury setback
The path to Anthony's injury recovery was complicated by a lack of agreement on the nature of his injury. The Red Sox organization initially downplayed the severity, with team president Sam Kennedy contradicting reports that the injury was a tear. Speaking on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show, Kennedy insisted there was "no evidence of a tear." However, Anthony himself later told WEEI's Rob Bradford that he had indeed suffered a ligament tear. The confusion delayed his return and prompted the Red Sox to place him on the 10-day injured list. He was sent to the team's spring training facility in Ft. Myers for continued monitoring until he could swing without pain, a process that took longer than expected. Just a few days ago, Red Sox radio play-by-play announcer Dave O'Brien asked Red Sox chief baseball officer, who responded, "I hope so," when asked if he was confident that Anthony would be back this year. Anthony was sent down to Boston's training facility in Fort Myers, Florida for rehab this month, but he reportedly is still not allowed to swing a bat. "We're not going to resume hitting if there's still discomfort in the hand," Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy told The Boston Globe. "That's a big piece of our lineup. It would be great to get him back. The whole point is we don't want our player, that player, to play injured, especially when it comes to swinging the bat. "[Anthony] sees what's going on," Tracy said of the Red Sox's hot streak. "He badly wants to be here. But we have to make sure he's right when he comes back."
Curtis Mead adds to Boston injury list
The Red Sox have faced another blow with the injury to newly acquired infielder Curtis Mead, who has sustained a non-displaced fracture in his wrist. According to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, the 25-year-old will not need surgery and will be evaluated again in four weeks to assess the healing process. At that time, the team will determine if Mead is likely to be available for the remainder of the 2026 season. This injury adds to the growing list of challenges for Boston's roster and highlights the difficult road they face in managing player health.
Anthony's return to batting is a promising sign for the Red Sox, who are currently performing at a high level and looking to maintain momentum as the season enters its final stretch. While he may still need to undergo a minor league rehab assignment before returning to the majors, his progress offers hope for a full recovery. Meanwhile, the Red Sox will aim to extend their winning streak to seven in a row with a series finale against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Thursday night. Sonny Gray, who has a record of 12-2 and a 2.78 ERA, will start for Boston against Athletics pitcher Mason Barnett, who is 1-1 with a 4.74 ERA. The game is set to begin at 9:40 p.m. ET. The Red Sox are set to begin the series finale of a four-game set against the Athletics in Sacramento at 9:40 p.m. EDT on Thursday. The Red Sox own the second American League Wild Card spot with a 56-51 record. The team won 15 games in a row earlier this month. After its series against the Athletics, Boston will begin a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. The Red Sox spent nearly all of the first half of the season well below-.500 but have miraculously rebounded and currently own a 54-50 record. If the regular season ended today, Boston would be in the playoffs as a Wild Card. Tracy's club currently trails the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East by 7.5 games. The Sox are +1300 to win the division. Boston is currently +2250 at Fanatics to win the World Series after starting the season at +1600 to win it all.