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Anthony

Anthony still hasn’t resumed swinging a bat after being shut down last week following renewed discomfort. The 22-year-old remains in a bit of a holding pattern in his recovery from wrist and finger issues since he can’t really ramp up baseball activities if he’s still experiencing symptoms. There is no timetable for his return and fantasy managers shouldn’t expect him back anytime soon. It’s starting to look like a potential lost season for one of the most explosive young talents in the game, which is frustrating for everyone.

Not good. The Red Sox are going to back off on Anthony’s ramp-up process after he experienced renewed wrist soreness earlier this week. The 22-year-old remains in a bit of a holding pattern as he deals with wrist and finger issues. Simply put, fantasy managers shouldn’t expect him back anytime soon.

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters Anthony took more swings prior to Tuesday’s game against the Braves and will continue ramping up his hitting progression. The 22-year-old former top prospect has been working his way back from a ligament sprain in his ring finger in addition to a wrist sprain. There’s a chance he’s ready for a minor league rehab assignment at some point in early June based on his current trajectory.

If so, Anthony could be sent out for a rehab assignment in the near future. This is good news for his eventual return, but dry swings don’t make it feel like he’s going to be back this weekend. Hopefully more optimistic news follows.

There were previous reports that Anthony was dealing with a torn ligament, which is not the case. However, we now know that it’s not a wrist issue the 22-year-old is battling. He will need to wait for the inflammation in his finger to subside before he picks up a bat again. The good news is that this isn’t a major issue and shouldn’t impact his performance when he returns. The bad news is that the Red Sox are unlikely to rush the former top prospect in baseball, so it’s unclear when Anthony will return. We’d still assume sometime in early June.

The Red Sox aren’t going to take any chances with the long-term health of their potential franchise cornerstone, which is why Anthony will be shut down for a couple days before he picks up a bat again. The 22-year-old prodigy has been on the shelf recovering from a right wrist sprain since early May. It’s not uncommon for a hitter to experience soreness and discomfort when they resume swinging a bat, so there’s no reason to panic just yet. However, it’s a situation fantasy managers should closely monitor.

Anthony has been sidelined since May 4, and the Red Sox have focused on building strength in his hand before allowing him to grip a bat. Now, he will start with hitting flips before hitting off a machine. If that goes well, he could face live pitching sometime later this week and perhaps only need a short rehab stint before he’s back in Boston before the end of May. The Red Sox offense could really use him.

There’s still no clear target date for his return, but the 22-year-old budding superstar continues to make small strides in the right direction. He has been sidelined since May 4 due to a right wrist sprain.

Anthony injured the top of his hand on a swing against the Tigers last Monday and was placed on the 10-day IL on Thursday. The Red Sox had hoped he would return when first eligible, but that will not be the case. The 22-year-old still hasn’t swung a bat as the Red Sox work on the strength in his hand. “Eventually, we’ll get to strong gripping,” said Tracy. “That’s the biggest thing for him: when do we get to feel like the grip strength is there? When we’re in there, we’re in a better spot.” It does feel like his recovery could speed up considerably once his hand is strong enough to grip a bat again. We just don’t know how long that first step is going to take.

This isn’t completely unexpected, as the Red Sox have had to play shorthanded for most of the week while Anthony attempted to work his way back from this issue. He hasn’t suffered any setbacks, he’s simply not progressing as quickly as they would have hoped and it’s still going to be at least a few more days before he’s ready. Mickey Gasper was recalled from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move.