The Boston Red Sox completed a four-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday with a 6-1 victory at Fenway Park. The win extended their streak to 13 games, matching a 1948 run as the second-longest in franchise history. At 50-48, Boston holds the third wild-card spot and sits just six games behind the division-leading Rays.
The roster has come together in ways nobody anticipated a month ago. Sonny Gray delivered his ninth straight quality start. Willson Contreras crushed an opposite-field homer. The entire clubhouse has bought into what interim manager Chad Tracy is building.
But over in Fort Myers, one of their most important players can only watch.
Tracy Provides Update on Anthony
Roman Anthony has been out for 11 weeks with a partial tear of the ligament at the base of his right ring finger. The young outfielder is still in Florida, still rehabbing, and still not at the point where he can start a hitting progression.
“He sees what’s going on. He badly wants to be here,” Tracy said.
The timeline remains uncertain. Tracy said the team will not allow Anthony to resume swinging until the soreness in his hand is completely gone. That threshold has not been reached. It is unclear whether the ligament has healed enough to eliminate the risk of reinjury, and the Red Sox are not willing to push it.
The approach goes beyond the physical. Tracy emphasized that Anthony needs to feel mentally confident in his hand before stepping back into the batter’s box. A player thinking about an injury while trying to hit is not a player who can perform at the level Anthony is capable of. Boston would rather wait than bring him back compromised.
GettyHOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 30: Roman Anthony #19 of the Boston Red Sox looks on after striking out during the game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on March 30, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
What the Red Sox Are Missing
Anthony is one of the brightest young talents in baseball. His 2026 season with the Red Sox had not yet found that gear before the finger injury shut him down. But he showed it on the international stage earlier this year, putting together a strong World Baseball Classic performance that reminded everyone what he is capable of when healthy and locked in.
The Red Sox have caught fire as of late. 13 in a row. A four-game sweep of the division leaders. The lineup has found different ways to produce every night, and the pitching staff has been one of the best in the league during the streak.
Adding Anthony back to a group playing like this could make the Red Sox a different proposition entirely, but they’ll have to wait a while longer.
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JULY 18: Wilyer Abreu #52 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates after hitting the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on July 18, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)
Final Word for the Red Sox
Thirteen straight wins. A four-game sweep of the best team in the division. A roster that has turned its entire season around in less than a month.
The Red Sox are doing all of this without Roman Anthony. That says something about the depth Tracy has cultivated and the belief running through the clubhouse right now.
Getting Anthony back would change the equation again. The timeline is not clear, and the team is not going to rush it. But whenever he does return, the ceiling becomes higher.
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