Hard to believe, given the length of the team’s injury list and the quality of names on that list, that the Boston Red Sox have managed 11 straight wins to get back to .500, following a doubleheader sweep of the Rays on Friday. With the MLB trade deadline fast approaching, the team is in a particularly interesting spot–a contender in the AL again, but still pocked with massive questions about who might be healthy and when. And there’s no bigger question than would-be star outfielder Roman Anthony.
Anthony has been out since May 4 with a torn ligament and tendon in the his right ring finger and wrist. It’s proven a stubborn injury, and it has kept Anthony out for more than 10 weeks now, with no end in sight. Manager Chad Tracy said on Friday that Anthony has yet to begin swinging a bat.
Offensively, the Red Sox have had an uphill climb all season. They are 26th in runs (400), 21st in slugging (.392) and tied for last in home runs (90). But given how dynamic he was in 2025, an Anthony return to the lineup could change all that–well, maybe.
Red Sox Have ‘Tricky’ Roman Anthony Issue
This week, WEEI in Boston Red Sox insider Rob Bradford made an appearance on “The Fenway Rundown” podcast with MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, and had a warning for the Red Sox on the team’s offense. It needs help at the trade deadline, and counting on Anthony’s return–and, to an extent, on Trevor Story back at shortstop–would be a mistake.
Remember, Anthony was hitting just .229 with a .675 OPS when he went out. Some have said he should just tape up the injured finger and play through it, but he clearly was not the same.
Said Bradford: “Here’s the tricky thing they have, the tricky thing is you have to define, you have to see the guys that are potentially coming back, what you have in them. Like, don’t give me, ‘Oh my goodness, Roman Anthony’s going to be the best trade deadline acquisition.’ Because you don’t know. You don’t know. All these people saying he should play with the finger, no, like, I don’t think he would be a fraction of what he would be without the injured finger.”
Trevor Story an Unknown
And it is a similar thing with Story, who has been out since mid-May after sports hernia surgery. While the starting pitching has been hit hard by injuries, the Red Sox have shown ample depth in the rotation. It’s the lineup that needs help, and Story was excellent in 2025, batting .263 with 25 homers and 96 RBIs.
However, he was brutal to start this year, at .206 with a .547 OPS.
Said Bradford: “The weird one is Trevor Story because I do think he will probably be back before the trade deadline. You’re gonna put him back in and then you basically just have to hope that he is good. But you can’t, you have to hope—‘OK, you’re our shortstop.’”
There is danger in that, though. Story–or Anthony–might not be completely healthy when they get back and that they can help after the trade deadline. It would be a big risk to assume they can and not make an offensive move.
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