Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony has been out since May due to a partially torn ligament in his right ring finger. His recovery hasn't been free of setbacks, and even now, the timeline of his return is not clear, with the slugger still feeling discomfort while swinging the bat.
The 21-year-old made his Red Sox debut last year, and the franchise felt the little they saw from him was enough to award him an eight-year, $130 million extension, including a $5 million signing bonus. The deal runs from 2026 through the 2033 season, excluding the club option for the 2034 season.
With the Red Sox struggling, former Red Sox star Adam Ottavino called out the franchise over Anthony's signing.
"I do think that they kind of overdid it with Roman Anthony, expecting so much out of him to basically carry the ball club offensively as a 21-year-old for whatever he is right now," Ottavino said on Foul Territory. "Obviously, he has the unfortunate injury, so he's not even playing.
"And I think Roman's a superstar, but that was a big ask. That's a big ask. You're asking him to be your Big Papi right now. That just doesn't seem realistic to me. And I think that was poor planning. So yeah, you can talk about the injury, but ultimately, I don't think the plan was very sound in this situation."
Ottavino's remarks hold value. In his second season, Anthony is hitting .229 with .354 OBP and .321 slugging. In 109 plate appearances, he has managed to hit only one home run and five RBIs.
Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy made a public apology after providing an incorrect injury update on Roman Anthony. Kennedy said it was just a sprain, but in actuality, it was a partially torn ligament.
On WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show," Kennedy even admitted that he had even talked to Anthony about the same, as he said:
"Well, listen, I need to own up to my mistake. I mean, I was unequivocal in my response to you regarding Roman and his situation. Apparently, I missed that day at Harvard Medical School. I shouldn't be sitting here talking about a sprain. A sprain is a tear. I was reading off of a report that identified the sprain…So, I apologize for my mistake there. I've communicated with Roman about that. That's all good. Most important is he's doing the work to getting back."
The Red Sox still don't have an idea when Anthony will return. They approach an important deadline where they have to decide if their season is already ruined.
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