Roman Anthony was back in the Red Sox lineup on Sunday, batting third as the designated hitter against the Baltimore Orioles after missing four consecutive games with a sore upper back. His return came two days after Boston fired manager Alex Cora and five prominent members of his coaching staff.
The timing mattered because the Red Sox entered Sunday at 10-17, a start that left little room for another setback. Anthony had been out since Tuesday, and the club had already listed him with the back issue in a separate report after Ranger Suarez started as Boston noted the injury. For a player trying to settle into the majors, the interruption came after a rough opening stretch in which he hit.225/.361/.325 over his first 22 games, with one home run, four RBIs and 25 strikeouts.
That slow start was part of a wider pattern. Since the start of last August, Anthony had already dealt with three back issues ranging from minor to major, and this latest absence added another reminder of how often his progress has been interrupted. Chad Tracy, his former Triple-A manager, was in charge as interim skipper on Sunday, giving the Red Sox a familiar voice on a day that was supposed to mark a fresh start.
The question now is not whether Anthony can fill a lineup spot. It is whether Boston can get him and the rest of the roster moving before the season slips further out of reach.
