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Boston Red Sox star Roman Anthony suffered another injury setback Monday after experiencing soreness during rehab swings, delaying his return from a right-hand ligament sprain.

Roman Anthony’s long-awaited hitting progression hit a troubling setback Monday when the Red Sox star experienced soreness after taking rehab swings, forcing Boston to shut him down from batting activity again.

The timing could hardly be worse for a Red Sox offense already spiraling, with Anthony’s latest setback now threatening to push his return deeper into June as Boston sinks further in the AL East.

Anthony Soreness Forces Red Sox to Halt Bat Swings

The 22-year-old outfielder had been cleared to begin a hitting progression Monday, with soft toss and flips first, then swings off a pitching machine. The determination followed encouraging progress by Anthony over the weekend. But his hand did not cooperate. Anthony took some swings, felt soreness immediately, and the team shut the session down, according to MassLive‘s Christopher Smith.

Interim manager Chad Tracy addressed the setback in a pre-game meeting with reporters.

“He swung a little bit and felt some soreness,” Tracy said. “For the time being, we’re going to back off until we get through the off day. Obviously you don’t want him swinging through soreness and discomfort. It’s not great news today, but we’ll back off and see how he responds after the off day with a few more days of rest.”

Anthony will not swing a bat again until at least Friday, pushing any realistic return to the active roster further down the calendar. RotoWire had pegged his estimated return at June 2, a date that now looks optimistic.

Anthony has been on the 10-day injured list since May 5 after spraining a ligament in his right hand during a series in Detroit. He showed real progress Friday in Atlanta, shedding his brace and playing catch for the first time. That session had raised hopes that a return before Boston left Kansas City was possible. Monday’s setback erased that optimism.

Boston Offense Desperately Needs Anthony’s Return

Anthony is the centerpiece of Boston’s rebuild and the most important bat in a lineup that has been one of the worst in the American League since he went down. The Red Sox entered the week last in the AL East at 18-25, and a thin, sputtering offense is a primary reason why.

According to calculations by one expert, if the Red Sox offense produced at even a league-average rate of 4.5 runs per game, Boston’s record would now be 32-14. By comparison, the MLB-best Atlanta Braves now boast a record of 32-15.

Before the injury, Anthony was slashing .229/.354/.321 across 30 games. But his elite on-base skills were stabilizers for a lineup short on quality at-bats. In his 2025 rookie season, he batted .292 with eight home runs across 71 games, joining Ted Williams as the only Red Sox players to pile up 20-plus extra-base hits and 25-plus walks in their first 52 career contests.

Boston committed to Anthony long before the big-league numbers arrived. He signed an eight-year, $130 million extension last April, with a maximum value of $230 million, securing him through at least 2034. That investment made him a cornerstone of the franchise.

The Red Sox will hold off on any hitting activity and reassess Friday. If Anthony responds well, the club can restart the progression. If he does not, a June return grows more likely, and Boston’s window to salvage the first half grows shorter by the day.