The Boston Red Sox sit at 68-58 with an American League wild-card spot. The roster has been reshaped by trades, injuries, and call-ups over the past two months. The push for October is real.
On Tuesday night in Portland, Maine, one of the most important players in the organization took the field for the first time in a long time. Roman Anthony began his rehab assignment with Double-A Portland, hitting second in the lineup as the designated hitter.
What he did was impressive. What he said afterward revealed even more about where he is.
Anthony Gets Honest
Anthony put together an impressive night at the plate.
He drew a walk in the first inning, drove a single the opposite way in the second, launched a home run over the right-field wall in the fifth, and walked again in his final trip. The Portland crowd gave him multiple ovations throughout the evening.
It was, by every measure, a dominant rehab debut, and encouraging for the Red Sox. As for Anthony, the feeling mattered more than the numbers.
“You’re just kind of going out there and playing like a kid again,” Anthony said.
The young outfielder had not played a competitive game since May 4, when an awkward check-swing against Detroit damaged the ligament in his right ring finger. What was initially expected to be a short absence stretched into more than three months of rehab that took him from Boston to Fort Myers and back again.
“I was a little jittery,” Anthony said. “I felt like I was debuting in Double-A again.”
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 01: Roman Anthony #19 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates hitting a double against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at Fenway Park on May 01, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Swings That Mattered Most for the Red Sox
The homer will make the highlights. Anthony knew that. But it was the at-bats before it that told him the most about where his hand stands.
In his second plate appearance, he tested the wrist with a check-swing on a breaking ball that fell out of the zone. He held up. No pain. No hesitation. A good sign for the Red Sox. He then laced a single to the opposite field at 108 miles per hour, the kind of swing that defines his approach when he is at his best.
Anthony called that at-bat the one that stood out most.
“That was the swing I was the most impressed with today, just going out and getting it, hitting it where it’s pitched,” Anthony said. “That’s when I feel like I’m at my best is when I’m going that way.”
The check-swing, though, carried a different kind of significance.
“Those are more important than the home runs or the ones that you complete your swing,” Anthony said. “The ones where you go and stop, the fact that those feel good is a big teller.”
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 03: Roman Anthony #19 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates after hitting a double against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning at Fenway Park on May 03, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Frustration of the Long Road
The young Red Sox outfielder was candid about how difficult the past three months had been. The injury was to a finger. It was supposed to heal quickly. It did not.
“The rehab process can be confusing,” Anthony said. “I’m sitting there just telling myself in my head, man, this is just a finger injury. Why is this taking so long? There’s no way this is gonna make me miss the entire year.”
When the progress finally started to build on itself, the shift felt almost surreal.
“It didn’t feel real for a second,” Anthony said. “Having good weeks and having good days that I was able to stack together felt just refreshing.”
GettyBOSTON, MA – APRIL 8: Roman Anthony #19 of the Boston Red Sox at bat against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Fenway Park on April 8, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Final Word for the Red Sox
Roman Anthony is back on a baseball field. The hand held up. The timing looked sharp.
The Red Sox are preparing for him to step back into the lineup when he is activated. The timeline for that will depend on how many more rehab games he needs in Portland. But Tuesday made one thing clear.
The wait is almost over. Anthony is ready to come home.
Red Sox Get Telling Roman Anthony Update After First Rehab Game