Red Sox's Messaging on Roman Anthony Injury Becoming Hard to Trust

Truthfully, no idea if this injured list stint will be minimal

iMay 3, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Roman Anthony (19) warms-up before batting against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox's messaging on outfielder Roman Anthony's hand/wrist injury has generally been optimistic, but a lot of that went out the window on Thursday.

Just before the Red Sox's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays, Anthony was placed on the 10-day injured list. He was already sitting out his third game in a row, so in theory, he could be back in a week.

But when Anthony plainly said on Thursday that his plan was to be back in the starting lineup on the first day he was eligible to come off the injured list, it was admittedly a bit hard to believe him.

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Anthony claims "good news" on day of IL placement

May 1, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Roman Anthony (19( runs for second base after hitting a double against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The confirmation Anthony got earlier this week, after seeing a specialist back in Boston, was that he had sprained a ligament below the right ring finger.

“I’ve never dealt with a hand issue before, so I think just getting the news back, understanding that it’s nothing very serious is the best news that we could have gotten,” Anthony said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.

But after a few days of waiting, Anthony's placement on the IL on Thursday seemed to owe to the fact that it wasn't getting better at the rate the team or the player might have hoped. And even if Anthony said Thursday that he felt better than the day before, it's hard to trust that he'll be ready to play by next week based on that new level of uncertainty.

Interim manager Chad Tracy even seemed to acknowledge that the Red Sox were still in the information-gathering and learning phase of Anthony's recovery.

“We’re still optimistic that hopefully it’s not too long, but we’ll keep seeing how he responds,” Tracy said, per Smith.

Injuries are becoming a legitimate concern for Anthony, unfortunately. He missed four games with a tight upper back late last month after an oblique strain cut his season short by a full month last fall.

Anthony was starting to heat up at the plate before this latest injury scare, too, which makes the uncertainty all the more painful.