Roman Anthony‘s long-awaited return to the Boston Red Sox is getting closer by the day, but his road back has come with plenty of speculation attached to it. Anthony hasn’t played in a major league game since May 4, working his way back from a torn ligament connected to the ring finger on his right hand, an injury that was initially expected to be a short-term issue.
After setbacks slowed his recovery, the Red Sox shifted Anthony’s rehab to Fort Myers, the organization’s spring training complex, where he spent over a month and a half. That decision sparked speculation among fans that the move was some form of punishment, with some suggesting Anthony’s focus away from the field had contributed to a slower recovery.
Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow addressed the speculation directly.
Breslow Addresses the Roman Anthony Punishment Narrative
GettyCraig Breslow of the Boston Red Sox.
Appearing on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show, Breslow made clear the decision to send Anthony to Fort Myers had nothing to do with discipline.
“We were not punishing Roman. Roman doesn’t feel punished,” Breslow said. “He and I have a great relationship, and we communicate multiple times per day. I think what I had seen was Roman saying that being in Fort Myers and rehabbing sucked. And it can. It does. Both because you are not playing, which is what Roman has known his entire life. He’s not contributing and helping us win games. And the environment at a spring training complex in the middle of the summer is not exactly the same as playing in front of 35,000 people in Boston. But we reached the decision to send Roman to Fort Myers together, and felt like it was the thing that would get him back to the big league as fast as possible.”
When asked directly whether there was any lingering frustration between him and Anthony over the rehab process, Breslow didn’t hesitate.
“I don’t think there is anything to resolve,” he said. “I don’t think Roman feels punished. We certainly weren’t looking to punish him. I think it’s really quite as simple as that.”
“We were not punishing Roman. Roman doesn’t feel punished… He and I have a great relationship, and we communicate multiple times
Anthony’s Rehab Numbers and Return Timeline
GettyRoman Anthony of the Boston Red Sox.
With Boston set to open a crucial four-game series against the New York Yankees this weekend, plenty of attention has turned to whether Anthony could be activated in time.
Breslow declined to give a specific date. He said Anthony, along with Trevor Story and Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, are all getting close to returning. He explained the rehab process shifts at this stage. It moves from a medical focus to a baseball one. Conversations now center on how the swing feels, timing, and explosiveness in the field rather than how the injury itself is healing. He said the team is taking things day by day without committing to a timetable.
Final Word for the Red Sox
Breslow addressed weeks of speculation about why Anthony’s rehab took the path it did. Whether fans fully buy the explanation is another matter. What everyone actually wants is Anthony back in the lineup.
With the numbers he’s already put up in his rehab games and a massive series against the Yankees on the horizon, Boston fans just want him activated.
Red Sox’s Craig Breslow Provides Roman Anthony Update Before Yankees Series