The Boston Red Sox have not seen Roman Anthony in the lineup since May 4, but in the last few weeks, he has made significant progress in his rehab.
Anthony suffered a partial tear of a tendon connected to his right ring finger and was unable to swing a bat without pain until recently. He has been hitting off a Trajekt machine, but according to MLB.com's Ian Browne, he will begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday.
Chad Tracy has been saying recently that Anthony is getting close to a rehab assignment, but it seems that he is ready. Anthony could need all 20 days of the rehab assignment, considering how much time he has missed, but the Red Sox may feel some pressure to bring him back. Masataka Yoshida's injury creates a more sudden need.
The Red Sox have gone from a disappointment to a World Series contender without Anthony, however. They are two games behind the New York Yankees in the standings and have a 5 1/2 game lead in the wild card race. At this point, the postseason seems like a lock, but getting Anthony and some other injured players back could set them up for a very deep run.
Anthony was not hitting well before his injury, but he is the face of the franchise now, and there is little doubt he is not going to get back to where he was last year. In 71 games last season, he had an .859 OPS and finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year race. He also went on to dominate at the World Baseball Classic.
Even if Anthony struggles a bit after his return, he would be an upgrade over Jarren Duran, who has been terrible at the plate this year.
More MLB: Alex Cora's Next Landing Spot Becoming Clear After Red Sox Firing