Roman Anthony has been out since May 4 with a ligament tear below his right ring finger, but is currently on a rehab assignment.
It has been an extended absence for Anthony, but the Red Sox are not going to rush him back. He is their franchise player, and rushing him back could end up hurting their future. Still, Anthony is playing well in Double-A as he looks to make his much-anticipated return.
In two games in Double-A so far, Anthony is 2-for-5 with one home run and two RBIs. He also has two walks. He went 0-for-3 on Thursday.
While he has had some early success, the rehab assignment is more about seeing how he feels than his stats. He has played one game in left field and one game as a designated hitter. The Red Sox will want him to get significant time in the field before calling him back up.
Playing back-to-back days in left field will be something the Red Sox want him to do after so much time off. His injury may have been in his hand, but being out so long means he also needs to get his legs back under him.
Anthony was amazing for the Red Sox in his 71 games last year, but was off to a slow start this year. However, he is too talented a hitter not to figure things out, and could really inject some life into the Red Sox lineup when he is back.