Tuesday represented a noteworthy day in the rehab process for multiple major leaguers in the Red Sox system, as Roman Anthony joined Trevor Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa in Worcester.
Anthony played four games at Double-A Portland last week, going just 3-for-11 but making those hits count with a home run and a double with three RBIs. Along with a pair of walks, Anthony posted a .993 OPS in that brief stint in Double-A.
Anthony, who hasn’t played in a big league game since May 4, made the move to Worcester this week, and he said he hopes to return to the majors “as soon as possible.”
Anthony backed up that confidence once he took the field in Worcester, helping the WooSox beat the RailRiders 8-5.
Roman Anthony: 2-for-4, HR, BB, 3 RBI, 2 K
Batting second and starting in left field, Anthony fisted a line-drive single between shortstop and third base, with the shortstop positioned behind second base against Anthony. That hit came on a full count.
In the second inning, Anthony stepped up with the bases loaded and took a four-pitch walk, driving in a run for the WooSox.
In his third plate appearance, Anthony went down swinging, striking out on a split-finger fastball.
He shook that off, though, by smashing a home run to right-center field in the seventh inning after getting ahead in a hitter’s count.
Anthony struck out looking in the eighth inning on an inside fastball, but that go-ahead homer certainly will stand as the headline from the night.
Trevor Story: 0-for-4, BB, RBI, 2 K
Obviously, the veteran shortstop’s hopes of joining the big club last weekend did not pan out, owing in part to Story’s struggles since joining the WooSox.
Those issues continued on Tuesday, as Story did not get the ball out of the infield in his five plate appearances.
Story struck out in the first (after barely checking his swing on two breaking balls in the dirt) and walked with the bases loaded in the second. That walk came at the end of Xavier Rivas throwing 12 consecutive balls to Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Anthony and Story. It was Story’s first walk since joining Worcester last week.
In the fourth inning, Story grounded out to short, and in the seventh, just after Anthony’s two-run homer, Story struck out swinging on a slider away. In the eighth, Story hit a dribbler in front of the plate, which the catcher fielded and threw to first to record the out.
Story’s Triple-A average dropped to .160 with his 0-for-4 night, and he now has seven strikeouts, four hits (all singles) and one walk in his seven Triple-A games.
What the Red Sox do with Story will be fascinating. They’re likely to make a call-up decision on Thursday, and with over 1,100 games of MLB experience under his belt, Story would normally be an automatic call to return to the bigs whenever he felt ready.
Yet when Story last played for the Red Sox, they were 18-25. He wasn’t a part of the incredible run from late June through the end of July. And even if Story is a better player on paper than Andruw Monasterio, it would be difficult to make a case that Story would represent an upgrade at this exact point in time.
If Story was at least hitting decently at Triple-A, perhaps there would be no decision at all. But through seven games, he has a .352 OPS. Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters on Monday that the team would “check in” with Story after Tuesday’s game with the possibility of joining the Red Sox for their series finale in Miami on Wednesday. An 0-for-4 with almost no contact surely won’t force their hand to bring him up.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, 2 K
The highlight of Kiner-Falefa’s night was a one-out double blooped down the left-field line in the fourth inning. He also drew a walk to begin the aforementioned stretch of 12 consecutive balls, and he worked a walk in the seventh, scoring on Anthony’s home run.
Kiner-Falefa’s other two at-bats ended with strikeouts, getting rung up in the first and then losing an ABS challenge to start the game and later going down swinging to end the seventh. To give an idea of how Kiner-Falefa’s rehab is going, his 1-for-3 night raised his batting average by nearly 50 points, as it climbed from .077 to .125.
The 31-year-old was hitting .277 (though with just a .705 OPS) in 47 MLB games this year before suffering a forearm injury. With Anthony Seigler and Nick Sogard contributing with Boston, the Red Sox certainly won’t be in a rush to bring Kiner-Falefa up to the majors until — or if — he proves to be healthy enough to hit Triple-A pitching.