Roman Anthony Giving Red Sox Fans Reason for Hope Amid Slide

The Boston Red Sox suffered a series loss over the weekend against the Atlanta Braves, but there is one significant silver lining for the franchise.

Overall, it was a brutal day for the Red Sox as they fell against the Braves in the rubber match, 8-1. Brayan Bello got the start after two straight great outings behind an opener. On Sunday, Bello didn't come in behind an opener and struggled once again. He allowed seven earned runs in five innings pitched.

Beforehand, the Red Sox got some really good news about young outfielder Roman Anthony.

The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey reported on Sunday that the current expectation is that Anthony will begin swinging a bat on Monday, which is a significant step towards returning.

"Roman Anthony is going to start swinging a bat tomorrow, starting with hitting flips before hitting off a machine," McCaffrey wrote on X.

Roman Anthony Will Take A Big Step

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

Anthony's splint came off on Friday. He has been on the Injured List due to a sprained ligament in his right ring finger. Swinging on Monday is the next concrete step in his recovery. He has the splint off and needs to get his grip strength fully back in order to get back in the lineup.

The Red Sox certainly need him. While he wasn't tearing the cover off the ball before going on the Injured List, he was among the Red Sox's better hitters. So far this season, he has slashed .229/.354/.321 with a .675 OPS, one homer, five RBIs, two stolen bases, 20 walks, and 12 runs scored. Anthony has played in just 30 games and yet he is fourth on the team right now with one win above replacement. The only players ahead of him are Wilyer Abreu (2.6 WAR), Willson Contreras (1.6 WAR), and Ceddanne Rafaela (1.4 WAR).

The Red Sox's pitching has been carrying the load for the club recently and the offense hasn't lived up to expectations. Over the last 15 days, the Red Sox are in third place in the league with a 2.62 ERA as a team. The Red Sox somehow are 6-7 over that stretch. With the pitching having this level of success right now, Boston just needs a few runs per game. If the club can get Anthony back into the lineup over the next week, he will give the club what they desperately need. Hitting on Monday is very positive.

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