Roman Anthony update: Red Sox star says hand injury healing slower than expected

BOSTON, June 13, 2026, Roman Anthony’s return timeline with the Red Sox is still unfolding, and the hand issue that has kept him out is not progressing as quickly as he had expected. In an update published by MLB, Anthony said his injury is “progressing a lot slower than I had imagined,” underscoring how uncertain the next step is in a recovery that has already tested Boston’s lineup depth.

Anthony, 22, has been viewed as a dynamic core piece since his rookie season, when he posted an.859 OPS in 303 plate appearances. For a club that expected its younger stars to keep raising the floor, his absence has shifted the day-to-day makeup of the order, altering matchups and forcing managers to lean on other bats to cover production holes.

The Red Sox’s challenge is not simply that Anthony is out, but that the offense has struggled to keep pace even before factoring in his downtime. MLB’s recap of the situation noted that Boston entered Saturday ranked 29th in Major League Baseball in runs. That context matters because teams with a low run total feel the impact of any missing hitter more sharply, especially when the lineup is trying to develop continuity and timing.

Anthony’s comment adds a more personal, forward-looking element to the injury picture. When a player characterizes recovery as “slower” than expected, it typically indicates that milestones such as pain reduction, grip or swing comfort, and baseball activity progression are taking longer than the initial medical calendar. The practical effect is that the Red Sox must plan around a gap that could last beyond a straightforward short absence.

Boston’s immediate task is to keep the lineup functional while the roster settles into a new rhythm without Anthony. That often means pairing complementary bats to protect each other in the order, redistributing responsibilities among position players, and finding ways to avoid overloading parts of the lineup that have been carrying production for stretches. The goal is not to replace Anthony’s specific skill set on a one-for-one basis, but to maintain enough scoring ability that the team does not fall further behind in a crowded American League race.

At the same time, Anthony’s situation still sits at the center of Boston’s longer-term plans. A player with Anthony’s rookie profile can change a lineup’s shape once he returns, and the Red Sox’s roster construction will likely be judged by how effectively they integrate him when he’s ready. The next phase to watch is whether the team can confirm incremental progress in baseball activities, and whether Anthony can move from rest and treatment into a more baseball-specific ramp.

For now, the most important takeaway is that the recovery is real and ongoing, but not on the pace Anthony had hoped for. As the calendar turns, Boston’s ability to manage without him while preserving the group’s overall offensive health will be a key storyline, and Anthony’s next update should help clarify when his absence starts to narrow.

If you want, I can also produce a follow-up story focusing on who has been most responsible for Boston’s run production in Anthony’s absence, using only publicly available team statistics once you provide permission to research beyond the MLB release.