Red Sox have huge Roman Anthony question amid looming return from injury originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox have come roaring back into the playoff race this season after looking completely out of it earlier this year, even after firing Alex Cora.
But now, a little over halfway through August, the Red Sox are right there with the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays atop the American League. A deep postseason run would not be a huge surprise for the Red Sox.
Another big storyline developing alongside this turnaround is Roman Anthony finally gearing up to return to the lineup. Ahead of his potential return, MLB.com's Ian Browne poses a big question for the Red Sox that could play a huge role in the team's odds this season: "What kind of impact will Roman Anthony make?"
Red Sox facing exciting Roman Anthony question"Slotting Anthony in at the top of the order could be of particular significance for a team that has lacked production in the leadoff spot," Browne writes.
The impact from Anthony's return is very much up in the air. While he hit a massive home run during his rehab assignment, there is still a question of how he'll fare against big league pitching.
This season in the big leagues, before his wrist injury knocked him out for the majority of the year, Anthony has a .229 average with one home run, five RBIS and a .675 OPS.
Anthony, simply put, wasn't a good player before his stint on the injured list. If Anthony comes back and plays like he did before the injury, his impact would be negligible at-best.
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The Red Sox have been able to get by without him, and could probably be okay even if Anthony returns and isn't playing well.
However, if Anthony were to come back and play at the .859 OPS level he showed in 71 games during his rookie season in 2025, then the Red Sox could be a lot more than just simple postseason contenders.
Anthony coming back and playing at an All-Star level could have the Red Sox as very legitimate World Series contenders. They'd have a good chance to go on a deep run this year.
That's why Anthony is such a big question mark for the Red Sox the rest of the way. His return, and how he'll play once he's back, could potentially make or break the Red Sox in their pursuit of a World Series appearance.
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