The Boston Red Sox are coming down the stretch, and with FanGraphs projecting them to have a 95.9% chance to make the playoffs as of Wednesday, many have turned their eyes toward October and a run toward a World Series.
One thing that can make Boston’s 5.1% chance to win a championship go up is the return of Roman Anthony. The star outfielder has been a key cog in the lineup after his long-awaited call-up in June, but he hasn’t played since injuring his left oblique on Sept. 2. While the Red Sox will be waiting with open arms for him to return to the field, president of baseball operations Craig Breslow delivered some news fans may not have wanted to hear while speaking to reporters on Tuesday night.
“Being around him a little bit, you can see he’s getting more comfortable,” Breslow told MassLive’s Chris Smith. “When it first happened, you could look at him and tell he was in quite a bit of discomfort and pain. That has subsided, but there’s still quite a bit of room to get to in terms of baseball activities.”
Roman Anthony’s Absence Could Linger Into Red Sox Playoff Push
Continuing life without Anthony would be a massive blow to the Red Sox’s lineup. Anthony hit .292/.396/.463 with eight homers, 32 RBIs, and four stolen bases on five attempts in 71 games in the majors this season, and the Red Sox rallied around him, going 54-35 after his promotion.
Anthony’s arrival also came at the perfect time as the Red Sox lost a popular cornerstone when Rafael Devers was traded to the San Francisco Giants. Unfortunately, Boston has gone just 12-11 since Anthony was injured and given a four-to-six-week timeline for recovery by manager Alex Cora.
For what it’s worth, Breslow noted that Anthony was still making progress but also hinted that the four-week timeline for his return seemed aggressive.
“(He’s) getting a little more comfortable every day. But it’s an injury that we knew would take some time to heal and get back on the field,” Breslow continued. “He and (the Red Sox medical staff) are working as hard as they can to try and accelerate the timeline to make that possible.”
The Red Sox will likely be playing in a Wild Card series next week, but with Anthony yet to resume baseball activities, it’s probable they will be without their young star for the best-of-three showdown. If the Red Sox were to advance, there’s a chance that Anthony could return at some point during the American League Divisional Series, but he would have to be completely ready to be placed into the postseason mix.
With the potential of Anthony being out until the AL Championship Series, Breslow’s update is a punch to the gut of fans hoping to see him return just in time for the playoff push. But if the Red Sox can go deep into the playoffs, there’s a chance the first-year stud could see the field and make an immediate impact come October.