MLB Notebook: Roman Anthony nearing Red Sox return; Joshua Baez makes history

As the Red Sox try to right the ship following a rough stretch in which they’ve gone 4-6 after running through baseball for more than a month, some much-needed offensive help is getting closer.

Roman Anthony, Trevor Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are all set to begin rehab assignments over the next several days, giving the Red Sox additional options as they head toward the stretch run.

Anthony will join Double-A Portland for the start of its home series Tuesday, marking his first game action since May 4.

The outfielder has been sidelined since suffering a partially torn tendon in the joint connected to his right ring finger on a foul ball in Detroit. His recovery stalled for a couple of months because swinging continued to cause wrist discomfort, even as he was able to continue running, fielding, and other baseball activities.

That finally began to change a couple of weeks ago when Anthony progressed enough to restart a hitting program.

Recently, he has been facing the Trajekt machine, which can replicate major league velocity and pitch shapes, and has advanced from fastballs to seeing a mix of pitches.

“He is continuing Trajekt. Everything's going well so far, we're creeping closer,” interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters Friday. “He just continues to ramp up all of his normal work and ramp up the Trajekt work. I think last I saw, he’s incorporating breaking balls and mixed pitches off Trajekt. So we're doing well.”

Anthony will see time both in the outfield and at designated hitter during his rehab assignment as the Red Sox gradually increase his workload.

He won’t be the only prominent Red Sox player getting back into game action.

Story will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Sunday, nearly three months after undergoing sports hernia surgery.

The veteran shortstop has been working out in Boston and has progressed to the point where the Red Sox believe he’s ready for game action.

“Continues to increase, ramp up, with more intensity and more volume of baseball activity,” Tracy said. “He’s doing everything and feeling much better. So a lot of it with him was the lateral mobility baseball component, which he's been able to do. So everything's going well there as well.”

Before undergoing surgery, he was having one of the worst offensive stretches of his career, batting .206 with three homers, seven doubles and 19 RBI while posting a .547 OPS in 41 games. He struck out 57 times compared to just eight walks.

His underlying numbers weren’t much better. Story’s 44 percent chase rate ranked fifth-worst among qualified major league hitters, while his 32.4 percent strikeout rate was sixth-highest. His defense had also slipped, with Story registering minus-3 Outs Above Average.

Story acknowledged the sports hernia wasn’t entirely responsible for those struggles, but also admitted he hadn't felt like himself physically.

While Story has been out of action, a lot has changed at shortstop for the Red Sox. 

Marcelo Mayer received an opportunity there before suffering a bone stress reaction in his left forearm. The Red Sox ultimately dealt Mayer to San Francisco for left-handed reliever Erik Miller at the trade deadline, closing the door on the possibility of Mayer eventually taking over the position in Boston.

In the meantime, Andruw Monasterio has taken advantage of his opportunity.

Monasterio opened the season in a traditional bench role, appearing in 31 of Boston’s first 57 games with 20 starts. Injuries to Story and Mayer eventually thrust him into an everyday role, and while his defense at shortstop hasn’t been particularly strong, his bat has helped keep him in the lineup.

Of Monasterio’s 65 hits this season, 22 have been doubles and six have left the yard. His latest came Saturday night when he delivered a two-run double in the ninth inning to give the Red Sox some breathing room in their 4-0 win over Pittsburgh.

Kiner-Falefa is getting closer, and he’ll begin his rehab assignment Wednesday with Worcester in Syracuse. Tracy said Kiner-Falefa will initially play second base but could move around the diamond as the Red Sox prepare him for a return to his utility role.

Boston figures to be more deliberate with all three players after what happened with Romy Gonzalez earlier this season.

Gonzalez received just 21 minor league at-bats during his rehab assignment before returning to the majors and never seemed to regain his timing. He was eventually optioned back to Worcester.

That experience should serve as a reminder that simply being healthy enough to play doesn’t necessarily mean a hitter is ready to face major league pitching. 

Masataka Yoshida left Saturday’s win over Pittsburgh with a hamstring injury suffered while running the bases and is expected to land on the injured list. Boston will recall Mickey Gasper from Triple-A Worcester, according to The Boston Globe's Alex Speier. 

For a Red Sox lineup that has cooled considerably over the past week, the timing of these potential reinforcements couldn't be much better. Anthony helping the Sox' lineup down the stretch will be a big boost for Boston. It's taken three months, but he's finally ready for baseball. 

Joshua Baez Makes History in MLB Debut

Cardinals outfielder Joshua Baez made quite the introduction to the major leagues Saturday at Wrigley Field.

Baez homered in each of his first three major league at-bats, becoming the first player in MLB history to accomplish the feat while leading St. Louis to an 8-4 win over the Cubs.

Called up from Triple-A Memphis before the game, the 23-year-old wasted no time. Baez crushed the first major league pitch he saw from Matthew Boyd an estimated 449 feet into the left-center field bleachers, then flashed a smile toward the Cardinals dugout as he began his trip around the bases.

“There was a calmness and a smile, like, ‘I’m here,’” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said to the Associated Press after the game. “It’s rare for me to pick my head up to enjoy parts of it. He didn't exactly give us an option but to actually take a step back and enjoy the heck out of what was going on there.”

Baez somehow topped himself from there when he went deep again in his second at-bat, sending a solo shot down the left-field line, before going the opposite way for his third homer in as many trips to the plate. He finished with five RBI.

“He hit three different pitches for home runs,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He had a great game. He beat us, for sure.”

Baez's first homer was also the third-longest by a player making his MLB debut since ESPN began tracking home run distances in 2006, trailing only Jason Heyward's 476-foot homer in 2010 and Aaron Judge's 457-foot blast in 2016.

The power display shouldn't come as a complete surprise. Baez was leading Triple-A with 34 home runs at the time of his promotion and had already recorded four multi-homer games this season. He entered his debut ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the Cardinals organization.

But there was a much deeper meaning behind Saturday's historic performance.

Baez had approximately 30 family members in attendance, including his mother, Yris. His father, Jose Manuel, wasn't there, but was very much on Baez's mind.

Jose Manuel played baseball and softball until he was around 35 years old and dreamed of reaching the major leagues. He died on June 16, 2023.

Before making his debut, Baez spoke about the promise he made to his father.

“My dad, his dream was to play in the big leagues, and he never got to sign or anything, and the only promise I made to him was that I was going to be able to do that for him,” Baez said following the game to reporters. “He’s not here with us here, but he’s here in spirit, and I know he’s so proud of me.”

There was already a remarkable baseball connection to his father. Three years to the date of Jose Manuel's death, Baez became just the 14th minor leaguer in the previous 20 years to hit four home runs in a game.

Then came Saturday at Wrigley, when Baez said he could feel his father's presence with him as he made major league history.

Baez's story also has Boston roots. He was born in Boston before his family moved to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, when he was an infant. They returned to Dorchester when Baez was 11. He learned English largely on his own within two years and became an honor student at a competitive private school.

Now, at 23, the Boston-born outfielder has reached the major leagues and needed only three at-bats to put his name in the record book.

Alex Cora Back in the Dugout?

Former Red Sox manager Alex Cora expects to manage again, but the real question is, when.

Appearing on the “Dirt from the Dugout” podcast with Karl Ravech, Cora said he has enjoyed stepping away from baseball and spending time with his family since the Red Sox fired him in late April.

“I think at one point I’m going to get back. When? We don’t know,” Cora said. “I needed my family… At the end of the day, priorities are priorities. These people are amazing, and they’re loving life.”

Boston fired Cora and three members of his coaching staff on April 25 following a 10-17 start. Shortly afterward, Cora turned down an opportunity to manage the Phillies after Philadelphia fired Rob Thomson.

Cora said his family played a major role in that decision.

“She was very honest after the situation in Boston and whatever could have happened,” Cora said of his fiancée, Angelica. “She was the one that slowed everything down for me and for us, making sure that the family was in the right place for us to move forward whenever we decide to.”

Cora has spent much of his time away from baseball in his hometown of Caguas, Puerto Rico, with Angelica and his twin nine-year-old sons, Xander and Isander. The family has traveled through Europe and returned to Boston for three World Cup matches.

When it comes to his next managerial job, there apparently isn’t a unanimous vote at home.

“There are three different opinions in that room right now,” Cora said. “You ask the boys, they want me to manage, and they have their teams. You ask Angelica, she’s very polite about it and let’s see what the future holds.”

Whenever Cora decides he’s ready, there should be plenty of interest around the game, including in Philadelphia, who has interim manager Don Mattingly at the helm. 

The Mets will be searching for permanent managers this winter, with other openings likely to emerge once the season ends. Cora went 620-541 (.534) over parts of eight seasons with Boston, posting an 18-10 postseason record and winning the 2018 World Series.

For now, Cora seems content to wait until the timing is right for both himself and his family. And even if he isn't back in a major league dugout next season, Cora already has a return to Boston on his calendar when he plans to run the Boston Marathon next April.

Red Sox Headed to Field of Dreams

If you build it, they will come, and in 2027, the Red Sox are headed to Iowa.

Major League Baseball announced Friday that Boston will face the Kansas City Royals at the “Field of Dreams” complex in Dyersville, Iowa, on Aug. 12, 2027. The game will be broadcast nationally on NBC.

The Red Sox are a natural fit for the event given the franchise’s connection to the 1989 film Field of Dreams. Kevin Costner’s Ray Kinsella and James Earl Jones’ Terence Mann make the trip from Boston to Iowa after attending a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, eventually picking up Moonlight Graham along the way.

Now the Red Sox will make their own trip to Dyersville.

It will be the fourth official MLB game played at the site, which sits near the original filming location. The Yankees and White Sox played the inaugural game in 2021 before the Cubs and Reds followed in 2022. The Phillies and Twins returned the event to the schedule in 2026, with Philadelphia earning a 7-1 victory.

The Field of Dreams game will create an unusual wrinkle in Boston’s schedule. The Red Sox are scheduled to play the White Sox in Chicago on Aug. 11 before traveling to Iowa for the Thursday night showcase.

Kansas City will arrive from Minnesota. Then both teams will have Friday off before meeting again in Kansas City on Aug. 14 to continue their series.

It’ll be roughly 1,200 miles from Fenway Park to Dyersville. Fortunately, the Red Sox probably won’t have to make the 17-hour trip in a 1973 Volkswagen bus. 

Around the League

- Former Red Sox outfielder Butch Huskey died Friday at the age of 54. Originally selected by the Mets in the seventh round of the 1989 draft out of Eisenhower High School in Lawton, Oklahoma, Huskey eventually made his way to Boston and appeared in the postseason for the Red Sox, going 1-for-5 with a double in the ALCS against the Yankees. Huskey was also among the players permitted to continue wearing No. 42 after Major League Baseball retired Jackie Robinson’s number across the league.

- The Red Sox lost catcher Jake Rogers on waivers to the White Sox after designating him for assignment to make room for Adley Rutschman. Chicago becomes Rogers’ fourth organization this season. He began the year with Detroit as Tarik Skubal’s personal catcher before stops with Baltimore and Boston. Rogers appeared in three games for the Red Sox, going 3-for-6 with two doubles and two RBI.

- Cal Raleigh’s follow-up to his historic 60-homer season has been a difficult one. After leading the majors in home runs last year, the Mariners catcher has just 51 hits in 380 plate appearances this season. Injuries have played a role, but his enormous 2025 season is increasingly looking like an outlier compared to the rest of his career.

- The Pirates are giving Paul Skenes some extra rest amid the most difficult stretch of his major league career. Skenes had been scheduled to face the Red Sox in Sunday’s series finale at PNC Park, but Pittsburgh pushed his start back three days to Wednesday against Detroit. Pirates manager Don Kelly stressed that the decision is not injury-related, and Skenes is on board with the additional rest.

- Speaking of Mayer hit his first home run as a member of the Giants organization during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento. Mayer crushed a 2-0 pitch to deep center and finished 1-for-2 with a walk as he works his way toward making his San Francisco debut.

- Baez isn’t the only player to homer on the first major league pitch he saw. Willson Contreras did it with the Cubs in 2016, coming off the bench to pinch-hit for Kyle Hendricks and launching a two-run homer to center off A.J. Schugel. Former Red Sox outfielder Daniel Nava did him one better in 2010, crushing a grand slam off Joe Blanton on the first major league pitch he saw.

- Former Dodgers right-hander Tony Gonsolin signed a major league deal with the Royals. Gonsolin was an All-Star in 2022, when he went 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA for Los Angeles. He was subsequently placed on Kansas City’s injured list.

- The Red Sox bullpen took another hit Sunday when Justin Slaten landed on the injured list with elbow soreness. Boston recalled left-hander Raymond Burgos to take his place. Slaten joins Garrett Whitlock, who was placed on the IL earlier this week with elbow inflammation, leaving the Red Sox without two of their late-inning options. Alec Gamboa is another option for the Sox down the stretch while also keeping an eye on the possibility of adding right-hander Angel Bastardo, who in the last nine games, all in relief, has 23 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. 

- The WooSox starting rotation now features four former members of the Portland Sea Dogs starting rotation in John Holobetz, Blake Wehunt, Gage Ziehl and, Jedixson Paez.

- The Rays added another versatile piece, signing infielder Jorge Mateo after he was released by the Braves. Mateo gives Tampa Bay speed and the ability to play multiple positions around the infield, the type of bench versatility the Rays have traditionally valued.

- Former Red Sox reliever Michael Fulmer was added to the Angels’ 26-man roster. Fulmer spent time with both Boston and the Cubs last season.

- The Nationals are giving All-Star C.J. Abrams a look at second base as the season winds down. The move will allow strong defender Nasim Nuñez to receive more playing time at shortstop while giving Washington an opportunity to evaluate a different defensive alignment heading toward 2027.