The Red Sox are going to shut down Roman Anthony from baseball activities until at least Thursday after he experienced renewed soreness while taking swings Monday afternoon in Kansas City.
Anthony has been on the injured list since May 7 after suffering a sprained ligament beneath his right ring finger while fouling off a pitch during Boston’s series in Detroit on May 4.
The outfielder had traveled with the club in hopes of returning during either the Braves or Royals series, but the latest setback will now delay his progression further.
Boston had been optimistic Anthony could begin ramping up baseball activities again this week, but the renewed discomfort appears to have forced the organization to take a more cautious approach with one of its most important young players.
Roman Anthony took some swings today but had some soreness. The Red Sox will back him off from swinging until after Thursday’s offday.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) May 18, 2026
“For the time being, we’re probably going to back off until we get through the off day (Thursday),” interim manager Chad Tracy said before the Sox series opener with the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. “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.”
Anthony received a cortisone shot within the last two weeks in hopes that it would help alleviate the discomfort he has experienced while gripping the bat.
One of the biggest hurdles remaining in his recovery is simply being able to swing pain-free.
The Red Sox outfielder recently had the splint removed from his wrist, largely because of the cortisone injection and the progress the organization hoped it would provide.
Boston still has not committed to any concrete timeline for Anthony’s return, but once he’s finally able to grip and swing the bat comfortably, the club will have a much clearer idea of the next steps in his recovery process.
Tracy initially did not completely rule out the possibility of Anthony returning during the Royals series. But after the latest setback, it is fair to wonder whether this injured list stint could now stretch into June, especially if Anthony ultimately requires a rehab assignment before rejoining Boston’s lineup.
Roman Anthony had X-rays on his hand that were negative but he will be flying to Boston to see a hand specialist. pic.twitter.com/jPFTkVnTeG
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) May 5, 2026
Before landing on the injured list, Anthony was hitting .229 with a .675 OPS, though he had started showing signs of heating up in May with five hits in his first 13 at-bats of the month.
The Red Sox badly need a healthy Anthony back in the lineup. And once he does return, Boston could consider moving him back into the leadoff spot given Jarren Duran’s ongoing offensive struggles.
Since Tracy took over as interim manager, Duran has hit leadoff in 18 of 19 games but has provided very little offensive production during that stretch.
“I think you look at it, right? He has gone through it,” Tracy said while the club was in Atlanta. “He took some better swings last night. When you get Roman (back), it’s worth more of a conversation but I do believe in Jarren. I know it can get frustrating and believe me, there’s probably nobody more frustrated than him. I also know who Jarren Duran is and what he can be and so does this fan base.”
Duran is hitting just .183 this season with four home runs, eight doubles, 18 RBIs, 11 walks, and nine stolen bases while posting a dreadful .243 on-base percentage and .548 OPS.
For a Red Sox offense already
