{"id":156458,"date":"2026-07-20T21:13:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T00:13:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/anthony-can-only-watch-his-sox-teammates-from-a-distance\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T21:13:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T00:13:46","slug":"anthony-can-only-watch-his-sox-teammates-from-a-distance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/en\/anthony-can-only-watch-his-sox-teammates-from-a-distance\/","title":{"rendered":"Anthony can only watch his Sox teammates from a distance"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u201cHe sees what\u2019s going on. He badly wants to be here,\u201d said Sox interim manager Chad Tracy<\/b><\/a>. \u201c[But] we have to make sure he\u2019s right when he comes back.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

How to get there? Tracy said the Sox want Anthony to be pain-free when he starts swinging, a threshold he hasn\u2019t reached.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not going to resume hitting if there\u2019s still discomfort in the hand,\u201d said Tracy, who\u2019s been in touch with the outfielder. \u201cThat\u2019s a big piece of our lineup. It would be great to get him back. The whole point is we don\u2019t want our player, that player, to play injured, especially when it comes to swinging the bat. So, just continuing to get him to where he feels very confident in his mind that that hand feels good. That\u2019s our goal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tracy was unsure whether Anthony\u2019s ligament has healed to the point where there\u2019s no risk of reinjury. But even if that\u2019s the case, the team doesn\u2019t want Anthony to start a hitting progression until he doesn\u2019t need to think about the injury.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis guy can really hit, and [he needs his] hand to hit. I fully support him,\u201d said Tracy. \u201cWe don\u2019t want players in the box if they\u2019re not confident that they should be out there. There\u2019s a lot of components to it that go beyond just [medical] scans.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ranger Suarez<\/b><\/a>, who went on the injured list with a left groin strain just before the All-Star break, felt fine after throwing a bullpen session on Sunday morning. The Sox will check in Monday to determine whether Suarez (4-3, 3.15 ERA in 17 starts) can start on Tuesday against the Orioles, or if he might need a couple of days.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re definitely getting close,\u201d Tracy said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Connelly Early<\/b><\/a>, who\u2019s been on the IL with left elbow inflammation since July 1, has extended his throwing program to 90 feet on flat ground. A standard progression would have him move up to 105 and then 120 feet on flat ground before he starts throwing off a mound, with a need to throw multiple bullpen sessions before facing hitters in live batting practice, rehab games, or both. It\u2019s likely he\u2019ll be out until at least August.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got to work his way back [to the mound],\u201d said Tracy. \u201cHe\u2019s doing fine. Just, his [rehab] is going to take just a touch longer [than Suarez\u2019s].\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Willson Contreras<\/b><\/a> entered Sunday with 193 regular-season homers, including 33 to the opposite field. The ability for the righthanded masher to crush pitches to the right of center has been a distinguishing trait since his first day in the big leagues. But of his first 21 homers this year, just one had been to the right of center. \u201c[Suarez] was joking with me the other day that I haven\u2019t hit an oppo homer,\u201d said Contreras. \u201cI said, \u2018It\u2019s going to come. I don\u2019t know when.\u2019\u201d It came on Sunday. Contreras drilled a two-run homer beyond the Red Sox bullpen in right-center, becoming the first Sox righthanded hitter this year with an opposite-field homer at Fenway. \u201cThat\u2019s a reminder to Ranger,\u201d said Contreras. \u2026 Isiah Kiner-Falefa<\/b> (on the IL since June 20) and Marcelo Mayer<\/b> (June 26), sidelined by stress reactions in their left forearms, will meet with a hand specialist for follow-up scans on Monday \u2026 Trevor Story<\/b>, out since May 15 with a sports hernia, is increasing the intensity of his baseball activities, but is still experiencing soreness from lateral mobility drills. Once he gets past that soreness, he and the team will consider a rehab assignment. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @alexspeier<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n