The Boston Red Sox have another injury concern on their hands, and this time it's one of their most promising young talents. Outfielder Roman Anthony, just 21 years old, was forced to exit Monday's 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers in the second inning after suffering a hand/wrist injury. The team announced that Anthony will fly back to Boston on Tuesday to consult with a specialist, and an MRI is "likely" on the horizon.
This setback comes hot on the heels of a back injury that sidelined Anthony for four consecutive games. While the initial prognosis offers a glimmer of hope—MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo reported Monday night that the "initial read" on the injury was "generally positive"—the situation clearly warrants caution. Interim manager Chad Tracy confirmed that X-rays taken after the game came back negative, but the organization isn't taking any chances.
"Imaging tonight was negative, but we are gonna send him back to Boston to see our hand specialist just to let him look at it and make sure," Tracy explained, as quoted by Cotillo. "I think the whole point is to get him back with our specialist to see him and see how he is. If everything's good, we'll get him back here. But we've got to get him back there first." Tracy didn't rule out Anthony returning to Detroit within the next two days, but the timeline remains uncertain.
Anthony, a former second-round pick, has been making strides in the lineup this season, recently earning the No. 3 spot under Tracy, who took over after Alex Cora's dismissal. The injury occurred on a routine swing during a first-inning foul ball. "I just took a swing and it didn't feel good," Anthony said. "As I came back in and went under to continue to swing, it just was painful."
Through 30 games and 130 plate appearances, the Florida native has posted a .229/.354/.321 slash line with one home run and five RBIs. While those numbers don't jump off the page, his potential as a cornerstone of the Red Sox future makes this injury a significant storyline to monitor. For now, all eyes are on that MRI and the specialist's verdict.