Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony, 22, has been sent to Fort Myers, Florida, with the sole objective of recovering from a hand injury. Anthony sustained a partially torn ligament in his right ring finger in May and continues to experience pain when swinging a bat.
"His focus, a singular focus now, is if you’re in Florida, it’s to get yourself healthy and not have to deal with all the other stuff that goes with it," interim manager Chad Tracy said. Tracy emphasized that being away from Boston will allow Anthony to concentrate exclusively on his rehabilitation without the daily distractions of being at Fenway Park and facing constant questions about his injury. "So it’s a singular focus, very focused on getting himself healthy and getting him back to us. We want him. We want him in the lineup. So I’m going to keep in touch with him frequently and see how he’s doing, with the hope that we get him back."
Anthony's next step in his recovery process involves a visit to hand specialist Dr. Gary Lourie in Atlanta this week. Tracy initially announced Anthony's relocation to Fenway South, the team's spring training complex, on Saturday, framing it as a logistical move. With an increasing number of injured players in Boston, moving Anthony to Florida was intended to create more space, a practice previously employed with some pitchers.
At present, Anthony has not yet resumed any hitting drills as part of his recovery. The move is designed to isolate his recovery efforts, ensuring his complete return to the team's lineup.