Roman Anthony’s Red-Hot Return Gives Struggling Red Sox Something To Trust | NESN
Roman Anthony cannot fix everything currently troubling the Boston Red Sox. He can make their September problems feel considerably less overwhelming.
Anthony collected three hits, including his first Fenway Park home run of the season, during Boston’s 8-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday. The defeat completed a disappointing series and gave the Red Sox six losses in eight games, but Anthony’s performance continued a remarkable return from an extended absence.
The outfielder has recorded at least two hits in four consecutive games, going 9-for-18 with four extra-base hits since returning from the injured list. That is more than a pleasant individual streak. It is exactly the development Boston needed entering the final month of the regular season.
Roman Anthony Looks Ready For September Pressure
Anthony missed nearly four months with a finger injury, creating understandable questions about how quickly he could regain his timing against major league pitching.
The answer arrived quickly.
His seventh-inning home run Wednesday traveled an estimated 370 feet and gave the Fenway Park crowd something to celebrate during an otherwise frustrating afternoon. More importantly, it offered another indication that Anthony’s swing is not merely surviving after the layoff.
He is driving the baseball.
Anthony also has demonstrated an ability to contribute without relying entirely on home runs. He is using the entire field, producing extra-base hits and creating traffic near the top of Boston’s lineup. That skill becomes particularly important with Willson Contreras sidelined by a hamstring injury and Adley Rutschman managing a hyperextended right elbow. The Red Sox cannot guarantee when either veteran will be completely healthy.
Anthony’s production gives interim manager Chad Tracy one dependable answer.
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Boston’s immediate concern remains its pitching. The Mariners scored eight runs Wednesday after producing nine Tuesday, repeatedly forcing the Red Sox offense to chase games from substantial deficits.
No rookie hitter can overcome that every afternoon. Anthony can still alter the lineup’s ceiling. His return lengthens the batting order, creates opportunities for Trevor Story and Wilyer Abreu and gives Boston another hitter capable of changing an inning with one swing.
The Red Sox enter a critical four-game road series against the Baltimore Orioles needing stability. Their most encouraging source of it might be the 22-year-old who just returned from nearly four months away.