Roman Anthony played in his first baseball game since May 4 on Tuesday night, making his first rehab appearance as he works his way back from a partially torn ligament at the base of his ring finger.
It didn’t take very long for Anthony to get comfortable.
Stepping to the plate for the Double-A Sea Dogs with a runner on first and two outs in the fifth, Anthony turned on a first-pitch breaking ball, crushing a home run that flew way out of Hadlock Field in Portland.
The home run was mammoth, but it wasn’t his first hard contact of the night. In the third inning, Anthony singled in his second plate appearance, sharply lining a ball toward shortstop. Third baseman Carson DeMartini was seemingly in position to make a play on the ball, but Anthony hit it too hard, leading to the clean single.
Anthony drew a walk off Reading starter Luke Russo in his first plate appearance, swinging just once (fouling off a curveball on a 1-1 count) in the six pitches he saw. He walked again in his follow-up plate appearance following the home run, this time seeing just four pitches.
Anthony was replaced for a pinch runner, ending the night 2-for-2 with a home run, single and two walks.
It would have been difficult for the Red Sox to draw up a better first appearance than that for Anthony.
As for when he plays next, Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said that the next day will be a “scheduled hybrid day,” meaning the team will gauge how Anthony feels before determining whether he’ll be back in the starting lineup again on Wednesday.
Trevor Story – Worcester
The veteran shortstop was in action for his second Triple-A game in his rehab work, getting the start at shortstop and batting second for the WooSox in Syracuse. (Top prospect Franklin Arias started at second base.)
Story’s work on Tuesday wasn’t quite as triumphant as Anthony’s. Story struck out swinging on a 90 mph fastball in his first at-bat, lined out to second base in his second at-bat, and struck out in a three-pitch at-bat in his third plate appearance in the seventh.
Story wasn’t alone with his hitting woes, as the WooSox were no-hit until there were two outs in the seventh inning.
After going 0-for-3, Story was replaced in the field for the bottom of the eighth.
Story is now 1-for-5 after singling in his Triple-A debut on Sunday. Prior to that, he hadn’t played since May 14, undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia in late May.
Story is scheduled to start for the WooSox again on Wednesday, as is Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who will be making his first rehab appearance.
Justin Gonzales – Portland
Justin Gonzales, the Red Sox’ second-ranked prospect, played in his first Double-A game after getting called up from high-A Greenville.
The 6-foot-5 outfielder batted in the leadoff spot, ahead of Anthony, and reached base via single in each of his first two at-bats. The first was a ground ball up the middle, and the second was a bloop muscled to shallow right off the handle.
Gonzales was jammed a bit again in his third at-bat but still managed to give it a ride, sending a warning-track fly ball to right. He was retired, but the power was on display. (Gonzales belted 17 home runs along with 12 doubles and a pair of triples in 89 games for Greenville.)
Gonzales grounded out to third in his final at-bat, finishing his Double-A debut 2-for-5 with a run scored in the 7-5 Portland win.
Franklin Arias – Worcester
Considering Arias could get called up as a late-season addition for the Red Sox, the Triple-A work for the top prospect in the organization bears watching.
As already noted, the WooSox didn’t record a hit until the seventh inning, so Arias got off to a tough start as well.
The 20-year-old flew out to center to start the game, reached on an infield error in his second at-bat, and took a called strike three to end the sixth inning. In the top of the ninth, Arias chopped out to third base, ending his night 0-for-4 in a 5-1 victory for Syracuse.
