Boston Red Sox fans waited three months for a positive injury update on Roman Anthony following the rare hand injury he sustained on May 4. He began swinging a bat, then hitting balls, then hitting live pitching in quick succession.
Finally, he began his rehab assignment on August 18 with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs and he's already testing Red Sox fans' patience in other ways. Anthony got four plate appearances during his first rehab game and reached base in all of them.
His second plate appearance was by far his best. Anthony crushed a home run over the right field wall, admiring it as it went. The crowd at Hadlock Field roared loudly enough that some Bostonians at Fenway Park might've heard them.
Anthony also logged a single, two walks and two RBI during his first game in months. Before the Red Sox's August 18 game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, interim manager Chad Tracy said Anthony was already scheduled for a "hybrid day" on the 19th — he could play again, or the Sox could hold him out of the lineup for the day if he experiences any soreness.
Roman Anthony's rehab game homer has Red Sox fans more excited for his return than ever
Listen to the crowd reaction on Roman Anthony's home run 🤯 https://t.co/agSwvCWAIE pic.twitter.com/CHjoshovdJ
— MLB (@MLB) August 18, 2026
Anthony's standout performance in his first day of rehab already has Red Sox fans calling for his return to Boston. He'll probably take the full 20-day rehab assignment or something close to it, since he hasn't played regularly in months, but the early signs are promising.
Anthony only played 30 games at the start of the season before his injury set in, and he didn't look like himself at all at the plate. The outfielder slashed .229/.354/.321 with five doubles, a triple, a homer and five RBI and just wasn't hitting at his usual clip. He was still talking his walks, however, with 20 compared to 33 strikeouts.
A healthy and confident Anthony will be a huge boost to the Red Sox's lineup during their playoff push. Anthony's return will mean more rest for Jarren Duran, who has struggled severely at the plate all season to the tune of a .203/.261/.351 slash line and 142 strikeouts over 118 games. Anthony will be even more important after the potentially season ending injury to Masataka Yoshida — the former top prospect is another consistent lefty hitter with a keen eye for the strike zone, but more power, for which the Red Sox are desperate.
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