Boston Red Sox
“We will back off and see what happens after the off day with a few more days of rest.”
Roman Anthony has been limited to just 30 games this season. Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe
May 18, 2026 | 7:46 PM
2 minutes to read
It doesn’t appear as though Roman Anthony is getting any closer to a return from a sprained ligament in his right ring finger.
Speaking ahead of Monday’s game against the Royals, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said that Anthony experienced soreness while swinging a bat on Monday, with Boston making the call to shut him down from some baseball activites until Thursday.
“For the time being, we’re probably going to back off until we get through the off day,” Tracy said. “Obviously we’re not going to have him swinging through soreness and discomfort. So not as good of news today. But we will back off and see what happens after the off day with a few more days of rest.”
It’s a discouraging setback for Anthony, who initially suffered the injury on May 4 in a road victory in Detroit. During his lone at-bat of the game, Anthony fouled off a pitch on a check swing and flexed his right hand in discomfort.
Both Tracy and Red Sox head athletic trainer Brandon Henry came out to speak with Anthony, who took a few practice swings before staying in the game. Anthony grounded into a fielder’s choice two pitches later and exited the game in the next inning.
While Boston initially hoped that Anthony was going to avoid a stint on the injured list, Anthony eventually landed on the shelf on May 7. But, the 21-year-old outfielder expressed optimism that he would only miss the minimum amount of time, which would result in his return to the lineup on May 15 for the start of Boston’s road series against the Braves.
“For me, where I stand right now, how it’s gone on and the way it’s felt over the last few days, when the IL stint is over, I plan to be in that game the next day,” Anthony told MLB.com.
Clearly, that timeline was unrealistic. Anthony is now not expected back until at least this upcoming weekend series against the Twins — and even that might be a bit of a stretch, given these recent setbacks.
Despite his potential as a franchise fixture atop Boston’s lineup, Anthony has been hindered by the injury bug since the end of last season.
Anthony’s breakout year in 2025 was cut short in early September after he suffered an oblique strain that ruled him out for the remainder of the year — including Boston’s playoff appearance during the Wild Card round against the Yankees.
Anthony also missed four games in late April due to a nagging back issue.
Through 30 games this season, Anthony is slashing .229/.354/.321 with one home run and five RBI.
“As you would expect, I’d like to be there with the guys,” Anthony said on May 7. “I’m happy that they got the job done in Detroit, got a great sweep. I think the team, we look great.
“For me, it was frustrating, and I started to feel good in the box. Started to really settle in. And never want things like that to happen, but it’s part of it. So, just got to get better as best I can, and do what I can to get back out there with the guys.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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