After weeks of non-updates and little progress, Boston Red Sox fans over Fourth of July weekend learned that Roman Anthony's hand injury rehab has been relocated to Florida to help move things along. While he's down there, he's also slated to see another doctor.
Anthony will visit with Dr. Gary Lourie, the Atlanta Braves' hand specialist, for "peace of mind," interim manager Chad Tracy said. Boston still doesn't believe Anthony will need surgery for the damage to the carpometacarpal (CMC) ligament in his ring finger. But July 6 reporting from Tim Healey of The Boston Globe has raised concern among Sox fans.
It took quite some time for the Red Sox to properly diagnose the injury in Anthony's hand. The club originally considered it a wrist sprain, then a hand injury, before landing on the CMC ligament tear, a rare injury that most doctors probably haven't seen before (subscription required). Lourie has.
In 2017, Braves infielder Adonis Garcia experienced pain in his lower (left) hand after swinging, at the base of his ring finger — the same injury Anthony has on his other hand (subscription required). Garcia ended up needing surgery to repair the damage, which caused him to miss around three months of playing time.
Red Sox sent Roman Anthony to see hand specialist who has seen his specific injury before
Healey reiterates that the Red Sox don't believe Anthony will need surgery but Sox fans aren't so convinced. Boston has had horrible luck with injuries this year as the team's two stars, Anthony and Garrett Crochet, have been on the IL since early May and late April, respectively, with no serious improvement in either of their conditions. Anthony needing surgery after weeks of the team alleging the contrary would be the most Red Sox outcome of all time.
Anthony has also long passed the estimated return date for his injury, though the Red Sox's estimates have been less reliable than ever this season — they initially thought he could get away with avoiding the IL entirely and his timeline has continued getting longer as they've been wrong at every step. Something has obviously stalled in his recovery if Boston is looking to additional doctors to clear things up.
If Anthony does need surgery, it'll be the most Red Sox luck they've had all season. The initial recovery timeline for Garcia's 2017 surgery was two months, but he ended up being sidelined for three. Boston doesn't have three months to lose, as that would place Anthony's return in October, when the Red Sox aren't likely to be playing. Rushing him back for a short September run also doesn't seem wise.
Hopefully, the Red Sox remain correct that Anthony won't need surgery on his hand. This is already a lost season for the outfielder, but not seeing him again for the rest of the year would be a serious blow to a young team running out of time to find its way in the playoff picture.
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