Roman Anthony is expected to play in Saturday's WooSox game, and after that, it's possible he is activated for the series finale against the New York Yankees on Sunday.
Getting Anthony back will be huge for the Red Sox, as he is one of the best young players in baseball and made a big impact in his 71 games last year. He was off to a slow start this season, but there is little doubt that he won't get back on track. He was the Red Sox's leadoff hitter before his injury, but Chad Tracy is not sure if he will bat leadoff every game now.
"Chad Tracy said he is leaning towards Roman Anthony leading off against righties as soon as he comes back," reported MLB.com's Ian Browne on Saturday. "TBD against lefties the way Jahmai Jones is going."
Anthony hits lefties and righties well, but it's hard to ignore how long he has been out. Jones hits lefties well and has a .926 OPS with the Red Sox this year. Anthony will be eased back into things, but he is an everyday player. He is expected to split time between left field and designated hitter, so it's possible he's in left field on days the team faces a lefty starter and Jones gets the start at designated hitter.
The Red Sox have quite a few hot hitters right now, so Tracy will have to find a way to keep everyone involved as their injured players return.
