Roman Anthony’s rehab assignment in Portland has already given the Red Sox a little of everything: a homer, quality at-bats and now a brush with one of the most recognizable champions in American sports.
Before Saturday’s game at Delta Dental Park at Hadlock Field, Anthony met legendary competitive eater Joey Chestnut, who was in town for the Sea Dogs’ “Maine Bean Suppahs” night. Chestnut, the 18-time Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest winner, was set to take part in a pregame eating competition built around baked beans, two red snappers, brown bread and a miniature whoopie pie.
Anthony got a chance to spend a moment with Chestnut before the event got going, pairing two people who have both risen to the top of very different fields.
NESN shared the moment and joked that Red Sox pitching prospect Payton Tolle was “punching the air somewhere.”
Tolle, for now, will have to wait his turn.
Anthony is in Portland for baseball, not ballpark novelty. The 22-year-old started his rehab assignment with the Sea Dogs on Tuesday, making his first appearance since a right wrist injury on May 4. He wasted no time making an impact, reaching base in all four plate appearances in his return.
He went 2-for-2 with two walks and hit a no-doubt two-run home run in Portland’s 7-5 win over the Reading Fightin Phils. Anthony then went hitless in his second game, but he bounced back Friday with a 1-for-3 night that included an RBI double and a sacrifice fly. Every productive trip to the plate is another step toward getting him back to Boston.
The Red Sox have not said when Anthony will be activated, but his work in Portland suggests the layoff has not dulled his bat.
Chestnut’s appearance added another layer to the evening. The 42-year-old remains a July staple because of his long-running dominance at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, and he added another Mustard Belt in July by eating 72 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.
Portland brought him in to headline its Bean Suppah Eating Competition, where he was scheduled to face three qualifiers from the Sea Dogs’ previous whoopie pie eating contest. He was also set to throw out the ceremonial first pitch and greet fans for photos and autographs, while the Sea Dogs wore their alternate Maine Bean Suppahs uniforms.
For Anthony, the overlap with Chestnut was the kind of odd, memorable moment that only a rehab stint in the minors can produce. For the Red Sox, the bigger picture is simple: get him healthy, get him swinging well, and get him back to Boston when he’s ready.
In Other News...
Red Sox Waiting On Curtis Mead Decision That Could Affect More Than Him
Curtis Meads first game with the Red Sox ended almost as quickly as it began, with the infielder leaving after being hit by a pitch and later diagnosed with a fractured wrist. Since then, Boston has been waiting on the next step in his recovery, and that wait is about to get a little more telling with a scan scheduled to check how the injury is healing.
Meads timetable matters beyond his own return window because the Red Sox are also tracking the comebacks of other injured players, which could force some tricky roster decisions. If the scan shows enough progress for Mead to have a chance to get back during the regular season, Boston may have to sort through a crowded picture at just the wrong time. [Read more 🡒]
Rafael Devers Finally Addressed How His Red Sox Exit Changed Him
Rafael Devers is still only months removed from the kind of Red Sox ending that lingered long after the news cycle moved on. Boston chose to move on from its third baseman after a stretch of tension and frustration had made the relationship harder to salvage, and the breakup became one of the defining stories of the season for a club that has spent plenty of time trying to steady itself.
In a recent interview, Devers addressed the aftermath in a way he had not before, saying the experience forced him to mature and take something from it. For the Red Sox, that makes the exit more than just a roster decision, because it also closes the book on a player who seems to view the separation as part of his growth, even as the details of what changed behind the scenes continue to hang over the story. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Road Rotation Sets Up Three Crucial Starts In Miami
The Red Sox have lined up their road series in Miami with a clear plan on the mound, turning to Ranger Surez in Mondays opener before handing the ball to Payton Tolle on Tuesday and Sonny Gray on Wednesday. Its the kind of sequence that gives Boston a straightforward look at how the rotation is being managed as the club heads into a three-game set against the Marlins.
MLB.coms Ian Browne reported the assignments, which give the Red Sox a chance to stack three different starters in a short window and set the tone for the trip. For Boston, the interest is not just in who starts each game, but in how those turns hold up over the series and what they say about the clubs pitching order going forward. [Read more 🡒]