The way that the Boston Red Sox are going, having won five straight games after sweeping the Giants on the road and taking the first two games of their series against the Marlins in Miami, it does not appear that reinforcements are much in need. Yet they are coming, with veteran infielders Trevor Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa just about ready to be brought up from Triple-A Worcester, and star outfielder Roman Anthony not far behind.
Of the three, no doubt, Anthony is the most compelling potential addition. He has not played for Boston since May 4, when he tore ligaments in his hand and wrist. Anthony had been struggling at the plate back then, but after three months away from the game, has found his groove in his minor-league rehab: He hit .273 with a .994 OPS in four games in Double A, and was 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs for Worcester on Tuesday.
He is ready to get back to the big leagues.
Roman Anthony Took Criticism From Red Sox Media
There is no timetable on that yet, but, one thing that Anthony appeared to want to clear up is the Boston sports radio chatter that suggested he was not taking his rehab with the Red Sox seriously enough, and that the team sent him to Fort Myers in June because he was more interested in his social life than fixing his injury.
That was a running line in some corners of the Boston media. The evidence was scant, but the whispers were repeated so often that some took them as fact around the Red Sox.
Roman Anthony: ‘I Hold Myself to a Standard’
In an extensive conversation with MassLive’s Chris Cotillo (worth a read here), Anthony shut down the notion that he was partying too much for the Red Sox’s liking.
Said Anthony: “It’s never been a problem and it’s never really even been a thing. I prioritize getting to bed and doing everything I can to show up and give it all to my teammates and to the fans. I think when things aren’t going your way and you’re a 22-year-old kid that does anything other than just goes home and goes straight to bed, people have something to say.
Red Sox Getting Hot Bats in OF, at DH
As for his immediate future, Anthony would not say when he is going to rejoin the Red Sox. Certainly, this weekend’s series against the Yankees would make some sense. But then, there is no hurry. The Red Sox have seen outfielders Jarren Duran and Jahmai Jones, as well as DH Mickey Gasper, surging lately.
In his last 10 games, Duran has hit .314 with a .923 OPS. Gasper has hit .476 with a 1.954 OPS in his last eight games. Jones has hit .643 with a 1.565 OPS in his last 11 games.
For Roman Anthony, that means patience is no problem. “I’m taking it super day by day,” he said, via the Boston Globe. “There’s no plan [for when he’ll return]. There’s no, ‘You’ve got to be ready by this time.’ That’s been great. I think for me, it’s about just taking it one pitch at a time, and we’ll reassess how I feel after tonight. And same thing goes for tomorrow. But there’s no plan. There’s no flight that’s booked or anything like that. It’s all about just how I respond and how I feel.”
Red Sox Roman Anthony Hits Back at ‘Untrue’ Criticism Amid Rehab