The Boston Red Sox are desperate to find some offense as they continue to scuffle. That could come in the form of a trade, or it could come as they get healthy with star outfielder Roman Anthony working toward a return.
Anthony has been out since May 4th, when he suffered a wrist injury while swinging. Luckily, it looks like the Red Sox outfielder has taken a step forward in his rehab. Interim manager Chad Tracy shared that he felt better while taking dry swings.
“Roman actually took 12 to 15 (dry) swings today and felt much better … next steps will be same thing tomorrow, only increasing the volume of the amount of swings he takes, and he can increase activity as his tolerance dictates,” Tracy said.
This doesn’t mean that Anthony is coming back immediately. It is another step in his journey back, though. It’s also a much more positive update than the last time he swung a bat. On May 18th, over a week ago now, he suffered a setback when he felt pain while swinging, getting shut down once again.
Roman Anthony Admits the Season Has Been a Personal Disappointment
GettyBoston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony
Even prior to his injury, Roman Anthony, like the rest of the Boston Red Sox, was underperforming. He knows that and recently admitted that it’s been a disappointment.
“Kind of a letdown, honestly,” Anthony said, per The Boston Globe. “Short sample size, but I wasn’t where I wanted to be.”
While healthy, Anthony is hitting .229 with a .354 OBP, a .321 slugging percentage, and a .675 OPS. Those numbers were down from 2025, another season when he missed time due to injuries. On top of that, he also has a better than 50% ground ball rate for his career.
“When I’m at my best, my swing decisions are great,” Anthony said. “When you’re swinging at good pitches, you have a better chance of hitting the ball in the air, and you have a better chance of doing what you want to do.”
Bobby Witt Jr. Recently Praised Roman Anthony
GettyBoston Red Sox Outfielder Roman Anthony
In the past few seasons, Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals has proven to be one of the best players in all of MLB. He also sees a bit of himself in Roman Anthony.
“A lot of just the personality … and how he is, how he carries himself, and just how he’s a true big leaguer,” Witt said, per MassLive. “We’re not really that loud or over-talkative, whatever. We like to enjoy the game, have fun, and we’re competitive. We want to win, and we want to work.”
Witt actually played alongside Anthony as members of Team USA for the World Baseball Classic. There, he saw Anthony first-hand, and believes he’s special for the at-bats that he was able to take.
“I think it’s just the at-bats he takes,” Witt said. “They’re professional at-bats, they’re big league at-bats. Anytime he’s up there you know he’s going to put together a good at-bat. And even just a guy that just didn’t know he was going to be on Team USA and then was just kind of thrown in there, thrown right into the starting role. And then the at-bats he took, kind of how he was, it was just great.”
The Red Sox will need Anthony back soon. More than that, they’ll need him at his best once he is healthy. It’s a version of Anthony they haven’t had yet in 2026.
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