Even the best-laid plans can hit a snag, and for the Boston Red Sox, that snag has come in the form of Roman Anthony's sophomore slump. The 21-year-old phenom, who was expected to build on a dazzling rookie campaign, has instead found himself battling both injuries and inconsistency. But there's a silver lining: Anthony's recent hand injury isn't as serious as initially feared.
The Red Sox placed Anthony on the 10-day injured list last week with a sprained ligament under his right ring finger, but he's eligible to return by May 15. While Boston is relieved to get their young star back, his early-season numbers tell a different story. After slashing an impressive .292/.396/.463 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs as a rookie, Anthony has struggled mightily this season, posting a .229/.354/.321 line with just one home run and five RBIs in 30 games.
The pressure on Anthony has been immense. With the Red Sox trading away Rafael Devers and failing to sign Alex Bregman in free agency, the offense's success has largely fallen on the shoulders of the young outfielder. On the latest episode of "The Fenway Rundown" podcast, MassLive's Sean McAdam broke down the impact of Anthony's slow start.
"That hasn't manifested," McAdam said of the expected offensive breakout. "And that's a huge hole in that lineup because rightly or wrongly, he was being tasked with shouldering a lot of the offense this year. Bregman left. Devers had been traded. Other than Triston Casas, they really didn't land a big bat over the offseason, and the feeling was, well, there's going to be big growth from Anthony. And there may still be, but we haven't seen it a quarter of the way through."
Anthony's rookie season showcased an absurd amount of potential, but the Red Sox have struggled to get consistent production from their offense this year. When he returns from injury, Boston will need their young star to rediscover that form and help turn their season around. For now, the team and its fans are holding out hope that the best is yet to come.