Red Sox Shut Down Roman Anthony Torn Ligament Rumors

With Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony on the shelf, there has been a lot of conflicting information out there.

First and foremost, the messaging from the team has been up and down. The 22-year-old hasn't played in a game since May 4. When he initially left the club's contest against the Detroit Tigers, there was hope that he wouldn't need a stint on the Injured List. His X-rays came back negative and he saw a specialist the next day. At the time, he was called day-to-day.

Shortly afterward, he was placed on the Injured List, though. When he was placed on the IL, the team specified that nothing got worse. There have been various updates since. On Monday, he swung a bat for the first time since landing on the IL, but he felt soreness and was shut down from swinging until at least Friday. When Anthony first went on the Injured List, there was hope that it wasn't anything to worry about. Now, it's been just about three weeks and there's still no end in sight.

The Red Sox Outfielder Is Working His Way Back

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

With so much uncertainty, that also leads to speculation. There's been a lot of noise out there, including speculation saying Anthony has a ligament tear in his ring finger and not a sprain. Uncertainty leads to wild takes. But this is not true, per president and chief executive officer Sam Kennedy, who denied it on "The Greg Hill Show" on WEEI on Friday.

“From what we know from our medical staff, that is not the case," Kennedy said of a tear for Anthony. "From what I understand, He’s got a sprain in the ligament at the base of the ring finger. There’s no evidence of a tear. The imaging is negative. There’s been a second opinion to confirm that.”

The Red Sox have started to look a bit better over the last few days. The pitching has been excellent for a while now. Boston has the second-best team ERA in baseball over the last 15 days at 2.20. The Red Sox just swept the Kansas City Royals and have won four of their last five games. To be at the Red Sox's best, they need a healthy Anthony near the top of the lineup.

Anthony did swing on Monday. That is positive in itself. Now, we wait for more. But Kenendy specifically said there isn't a tear.

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