Red Sox's Roman Anthony 'Much Better' As Rehab Ramps Up
After weeks of uncertainty, it seems like things are trending in the right direction for injured Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony.
Anthony, who has been out since May 4th with a hand injury, is reportedly feeling "much better" after testing his strength on several swings. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the 22-year-old took 12-15 dry swings on Tuesday which went well enough for the team to be "encouraged that he has turned a corner."
According to Cotillo, Anthony's next steps will be building up the volume of swings he takes each day. If the response continues to be positive, the Red Sox could have their young slugger back in the lineup very soon.
Roman Anthony took 12-15 dry swings today and felt much better so the Red Sox are encouraged that he has turned a corner. Will do the same thing tomorrow and increase volume day to day.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) May 26, 2026
Anthony's injury originally came on an awkward swing during the team's series in Detroit at the beginning of May. The outfielder came out of the game and while X-Rays and MRIs have continued to turn up negative, Anthony has yet to regain the strength necessary to grip the bat and take full swings.
Before today, the latest major update came on May 18th, when Anthony suffered a setback after reporting soreness following a swinging session. Now over a week later, it appears he has cleared at least one hurdle toward a return.
Manager Chad Tracy weighed in on his progress, telling the media that Anthony was still experiencing "a little bit" of discomfort on his follow through, but still labeling it as a "positive step."
Chad Tracy on Roman Anthony: "Not feeling as much in the front end, just a little bit on like the follow through in the back end. So that's a positive step. So next step will be same thing tomorrow only increasing the volume of the amount of swings he takes. And we can increase… https://t.co/cJyv92xnMp
— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) May 26, 2026
As concerns grew over the past few weeks with the lengthy absence, Red Sox's CEO and president Sam Kennedy shut down rumors that Anthony's injury was more severe than the team has indicated, confirming that he is dealing with a sprained ligament below his ring finger.
Anthony struggled in the time before his injury, slashing .229/.354/.321 with one home run and five RBI in 30 games. Still, the Red Sox have missed his bat in the lineup and remain one of the worst offenses in the league, averaging a league-worst 3.73 runs per game.
It was originally expected that Anthony would be able to return as soon as he was ready and the young star would not need a rehab assignment. It is unclear if that remains the case given the extended absence, but it is certainly a positive sign that the Red Sox are seeing improvements on the injury front.
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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 1:34 PM.