Red Sox Give More Troubling Signs on Roman Anthony

When will the Boston Red Sox get Roman Anthony back into the lineup?

That's the million dollar question right now and there really isn't a clear answer anywhere.

Anthony is currently on the Injured List. Initially, the injury was called a right wrist sprain when Anthony was placed on the Injured List. It was confirmed afterward that the injury was more of a sprained ligament under his right ring finger. The messaging has been a bit mixed. Initially, the hope was that he would not need an IL stint. Then, the conversation turned into a potential minimum stay, which would have him back by the club's series against the Atlanta Braves beginning on Friday.

Things have continued to shift. Anthony has had a brace on his hand and hadn't begun baseball activities as of Tuesday. On Thursday, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy joined WEEI and unsurprisingly was asked about Anthony. Again, the answer was vague, which he acknowledged. Tracy noted that the injury is a tough one to gauge and noted that Anthony could return during the upcoming road trip, but also maybe not.

The Red Sox Young Star Is In Limbo

"I'm hoping quickly," Tracy said of Anthony. "But again, the nature of that injury with the, you know, like basically a finger tendon [at the] top of the hand, it really is a matter of waiting for it to heal and that could happen very quickly. So, I know there has been some ambiguity about that and you know people see him with the brace on.

The brace is just to keep it stable and to heal faster. But it's hard to give you an answer. It could be this road trip. Maybe it isn't. It just is a matter of when does this thing feel like, 'Hey the grip is there, let's start to introduce some activities.' Based on the fact that he hasn't been down for that long, it's not necessarily like this two-week build-up. We've just got to see what he can handle and when he can handle it. I know that's a bit of a vague answer, but we are still hopeful."

Obviously, injuries are tricky. But the messaging on this one with Anthony — and in general this season — has felt off. It's not just Anthony. When Garrett Crochet was placed on the Injured List, there was hope for a minimum IL stay, but that hasn't been the reality. There have been multiple times this season when the initial reaction has been hope, only for an injury to linger and then the messaging gets significantly worse.

This was the case even down in the minors. When Red Sox No. 5 prospect Juan Valera left his start on April 16, reports indicated that he wouldn't need an MRI. A few days later, he underwent an MRI. Then, a few more days later, he needed a second opinion. Then, last week, it was reported that Valera underwent Tommy John surgery.

Messaging on injuries has been a bit questionable this season. When it comes to Anthony, there arguably isn't a player more important to the success of the club right now than him. That's too much pressure to put on a 22-year-old, but it is simply how the roster is built. So, when is Anthony going to return? It's anyone's guess right now. The best-case scenario would be during the Braves series, but that doesn't seem very likely right now.

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