Before the Boston Red Sox' 7-6 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, interim manager Chad Tracy provided a positive injury update on outfielder Roman Anthony, who has been sidelined since May 4 due to a wrist injury (h/t Ian Browne of MLB.com).
“He felt much better, not feeling as much [discomfort] in the front end, just a little bit, like on the follow through, in the back end, so that's a positive step,” said Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy. “So the next step will be the same thing tomorrow, only increasing the volume of the amount of swings he takes, and we can increase activity as his tolerance dictates, but a step in the right direction for him today.”
Though it's fair to assume that Anthony is still a ways out from his return, it seems that he is making some good progress, which is good news for a Boston team that has lost four in a row.
However, even when he does eventually return, the Florida native's presence alone won't be enough to fix everything that's wrong with the Red Sox.
Boston's offense will likely struggle even after Roman Anthony returns
The Red Sox have been one of the worst-hitting teams in the majors all season long, and there is no way that one 22-year-old is going to solve everything.
According to MLB.com, the Red Sox rank last in RBIs (191) and runs (200), 29th in home runs (41), 26th in SLG (.371), and 24th in OPS (.686). And this is after a recent hot stretch, when they scored three or more runs in six of their last seven games.
Boston seems to be figuring this out at the plate, but given how badly the team has struggled offensively all season (combined with the fact that its lineup just isn't all that good on paper to begin with), fans are going to need a little more convincing before they can confidently say the team has turned things around.
To be fair, Anthony's return should help, given that he is the most talented and well-rounded hitter on the Red Sox' roster. However, even he was struggling before the injury (.229 BA, one home run, 5 RBIs, .675 OPS in 109 at-bats), and it's asking a lot of him to come in and essentially save the team's offense in his first full season in the majors.
Boston doesn't have the right talent around him, and it shows. Two months into the season, the team is 22-31 and ranks last in the AL East standings. There is still a lot of time for them to find their rhythm, but their play to this point isn't too promising. And just re-inserting Anthony into the lineup isn't going to fix everything.
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