Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony shared an encouraging update Friday on his hand injury recovery after receiving a cortisone shot and resuming baseball activities, raising optimism that the 22-year-old could return sooner than expected, according to a report Friday by Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
Anthony has not swung a bat since spraining a ligament beneath his right ring finger on May 4, but the Red Sox believe the top young hitter’s recovery may finally be accelerating after days of uncertainty.
The update came at Truist Park in Atlanta, where the Boston Red Sox opened a six-game road trip against the Braves on Friday. Anthony shed the splint on his right hand and played catch before the game. It was his first baseball activity since the injury, according to Cotillo’s report.
“I’m out of the brace and got to do baseball activity today,” Anthony told reporters, as quoted by MassLive. “Positive signs. I’m feeling good.”
Anthony Removes Splint, Takes Big Rehab Step
Interim manager Chad Tracy revealed that the cortisone injection was the reason Anthony had been wearing the brace, explaining that the splint had to stay for the injection to be effective. Tracy said the club hopes to get Anthony into the batting cage before the Atlanta series ends on Sunday, according to Cotillo’s report.
“He’s feeling a lot better, which is good news for us,” Tracy said, as quoted by MassLive. “Hopefully â depending on how he responds and maybe by the end of our time here â we can get him swinging a bat. We’ll see how it goes.”
Anthony played down firm predictions after earlier timetable estimates fell short. “I don’t want to say yes or no, because I know what that leads to,” he said. Friday’s session still left him encouraged. “Based on the way I felt throwing today, hoping to get into that very soon.”
Red Sox Offense Badly Needs Anthony’s Bat
Boston ranked among the bottom four clubs in MLB in team OPS and among the three lowest in runs scored, according to MLB.com statistics before Friday’s action. The team-wide offensive shortfall likely will not be solved without the Red Soxâs best young hitter.
Anthony comes with a long-term commitment. He signed an eight-year, $130 million contract extension last April, and his 2025 debut was worthy of the deal. He slashed .292/.396/.463 with eight home runs across 71 big-league games, joining Ted Williams as the only Boston Red Sox players to record 20-plus extra-base hits and 25-plus walks in their first 52 career contests.
This season, he was hitting .231 with a .681 OPS across 29 games. But the slow start had recently shown signs of turning around.
The remaining hurdle is grip strength under the torque of live swings. Anthony’s hand held up playing catch on Friday, but Boston will not clear him until he passes that bat-swing test.
With Boston trying to keep pace in the AL East race, Anthony’s looming return could provide a major offensive lift for a lineup that has badly missed his bat and energy. The Red Sox now appear hopeful the rookie standout could begin swinging again within days â an important milestone that may determine whether his return comes before the end of the current road trip.
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