Red Sox get promising injury update on star Roman Anthony

Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald on May 5, 2026

Published in Baseball

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BOSTON — Alarm bells sounded across New England Monday night when Red Sox star Roman Anthony not only departed the series opener in Detroit with right wrist discomfort, but flew back to Boston to be seen by a hand specialist despite initial X-rays being negative.

Before Tuesday’s game, interim manager Chad Tracy provided a cautiously-optimistic update.

“As of right now, it looks like just a wrist sprain,” Tracy told reporters in Detroit. “Outside of that, no update other than to say, right now, day-to-day.”

With regards to the injured list, Tracy said there’s “nothing imminent.” Instead, the Red Sox will play a man short Tuesday and likely Wednesday, as Tracy said Anthony is “probably not” going to fly back, given the team is slated to return to Boston late Wednesday night to open up a four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday evening.

The issue reared its head as Anthony checked his swing during his at-bat in the top of the first. After a lengthy discussion with Tracy and head trainer Brandon Henry, and repeated flexing of the fingers and wrist, Anthony remained in the game. He finished the at-bat with a groundout to second base, and all seemed well when he came out to play left field in the bottom of the inning. But when the Red Sox retook the field for the bottom of the second, Masataka Yoshida went out to left, instead.

“I just took a swing and it didn’t feel good,” Anthony later told reporters. “And as I came back in and went under to continue to swing, it just was painful.”

Though Anthony isn’t on the IL at present, his absence from the lineup comes just after his most comfortable stretch of hitting in weeks. He’s hitting .229 with a .675 OPS, 25 hits, 20 walks and 33 strikeouts in 30 games, but entered Monday’s series opener 5 for 12 (.417) with two doubles, a run, two walks and just one strikeout over his first three games of the month.

It’s also latest in a long line of setbacks and frustrations for a Red Sox team that entered Tuesday 14-21 on the season, is without ace Garrett Crochet (shoulder inflammation) for the foreseeable future, and could lose fellow lefty Ranger Suarez to the IL as well; he’s day-to-day after exiting his Sunday start with right hamstring tightness.

The Red Sox do, however, seem on the cusp of activating veteran right-hander Sonny Gray, who’s been on the 15-day IL after leaving his Marathon Monday start (April 20) with right hamstring tightness. “All things are pointing toward” Gray starting Wednesday’s series finale, Tracy said.

And there’s a chance Anthony could be available by Thursday, but the Red Sox want to manage expectations.

“Even with the sprain, it’s really going to still be reactive on how he’s feeling and how he’s progressing,” Tracy said. “That’s good news but we still have to see how he feels over the next couple days.”