Roman Anthony is back on the field in Double-A Portland, and Boston’s path from here is starting to come into focus.
Anthony opened his rehab assignment on Aug. 18 and wasted no time making noise, going 2-for-2 with a home run and two walks. After sitting out Wednesday, he was back in Portland’s lineup Thursday night and this time went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. The plan is for him to play again on Friday, though nothing beyond that has been announced.
Even with the quieter night, the clock is ticking. A rehab assignment can last no longer than 20 days unless there’s a setback, which means Anthony is at worst only a few weeks away from rejoining the Red Sox.
When that happens, Boston already has a clear idea of how it wants to use him. Earlier this week, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said the club plans to bat Anthony leadoff and give him time in left field and at designated hitter.
That setup makes sense for a roster that no longer has the same outfield squeeze it did earlier in the year. At one point, Boston had Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Masataka Yoshida all healthy, and that created some difficult decisions - especially for Yoshida, who wasn’t getting steady at-bats.
That issue looks different now. Yoshida is on the Injured List with a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for at least the majority of the remainder of the regular season.
The DH spot has been a moving target for Boston, and Anthony could help settle it down. Getting him regular reps there down the stretch would be a plus, especially with Duran, who has not matched his usual offensive production this season but remains in the 88th percentile in outs above average.
There’s another roster shuffle coming too, because Trevor Story is also nearing a return. Boston will need to clear space to activate the veteran shortstop, and two names to keep an eye on are Anthony Seigler and Mickey Gasper. Seigler has given the Red Sox a spark, but he has seen less playing time lately, and optioning him for Story would be a straightforward move.
Gasper has also been excellent since returning to the majors, but someone will have to go when Anthony is ready to come back. Nick Sogard is another possibility, though he has been locked in at second base and is playing well.
So the changes are coming, and Gasper and Seigler are the names to watch.
Once the roster is whole, Boston’s best version might look something like this:
- Roman Anthony, DH
- Ceddanne Rafaela, CF
- Wilyer Abrea, RF
- Willson Contreras, 1B
- Adley Rutschman, C
- Caleb Durbin, 3B
- Jarren Duran, LF
- Nick Sogard, 2B
- Trevor Story, SS
That’s a lineup with enough depth to make a deep run.
In Other News...
Trevor Storys Return Just Made One Red Sox Roster Call Much Tougher
Trevor Story is expected to return from the injured list soon, and that alone changes the shape of the Red Sox roster in a hurry. A team that has spent plenty of time sorting through infield looks now has to make room for a regular at shortstop, which pushes a few other moving parts into sharper focus, especially on the bench and around second base.
Nick Sogard has helped make the decision more complicated by playing well enough lately to give Boston a real reason to keep him around, with his defense and on-base work standing out over Anthony Seigler. The Red Sox are also trying to sort out how to handle playing time for Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Jahmai Jones, which means Storys return is not just about who comes off the injured list, but about how the rest of the roster gets reshaped around him. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Reunion In Boston May Be Missing One Familiar Name
Rafael Devers is set to make his first return to Boston since the trade that sent him to San Francisco 14 months ago, giving this weekends series a little extra edge for Red Sox fans still sorting through that deal. It is the kind of matchup that tends to drag old emotions back into the open, especially when a former franchise face comes back to Fenway with a new uniform and a familiar spotlight.
One piece of the reunion, though, may not arrive on schedule. Marcelo Mayer, another name tied to the trade and a player the Giants have been monitoring closely, is on a rehab assignment and could be held back until next week as San Francisco manages his forearm issue and decides how quickly to bring him into the mix. He has looked solid in Triple-A, but his major league track record has been uneven, and the Giants appear in no rush to force the timing. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Infield Squeeze Puts Unsung Contributor In Tough Spot
As Trevor Story works his way back into the mix, the Red Sox are once again confronting the kind of infield squeeze that can make even a useful contributor feel a little exposed. Andruw Monasterio has been one of the players smoothing over those cracks, handling multiple positions and giving Boston a flexible option whenever the lineup, the health chart or the matchups shift.
Monasterio has also made clear he understands the business side of it. He has accepted the coaching staffs decisions on playing time and kept producing when called upon, hitting .261 with a 109 OPS+ and a 1.4 bWAR in 87 games. The bigger question now is how much room there will be for that kind of all-around value as the roster gets healthier and the infield gets tighter. [Read more 🡒]