The Red Sox will begin their first go-round in the AL playoffs on Tuesday, and while the excitement for a team that has been among the best in the league since the end of June (47-29) is high, especially with ace Garrett Crochet leading the charge in Game 1, folks at Fenway are also keeping an anxious eye on the offense, which has not been the same since star rookie Roman Anthony went out with an oblique injury on September 2.
The estimated recovery time for the injury was pegged at 4-6 weeks, which means at the earliest, the team could get Anthony back on September 30. That certainly won’t be happening, though, as the Red Sox announced on Sunday that Anthony would not be with the team to start the playoffs, and instead would do his rehabbing in Ft. Myers, Florida.
Fellow rookie Marcelo Mayer, like Anthony one of the top prospects in all of baseball to start the season, will also be rehabbing in Florida. Mayer has been out since having wrist surgery in August.
Red Sox Will Send Injured Players to Ft. Myers
Cora laid out the plans on Sunday before the season finale at Fenway Park, saying that the team wants to keep the traveling party light in the playoffs, and let the injured players–most notably Anthony–heal up elsewhere.
“I think that group is going to go to Fort Myers,” Cora said. “It all depends on what we do, whoever is not on the roster, some of them can travel with us but I think our preference is for them to go down there because you can face pitching and for (clubhouse manager Tom McLaughlin) and the trainers it’s a lot easier having only two extra guys if that’s the case instead of everybody.”
Red Sox Getting Back Marcelo Mayer?
Cora did, this weekend, leave open the possibility that Mayer could play in the postseason, an intriguing turn of events, though one that might not make much sense if the team can’t be sure that Mayer will be sharp.
Mayer was originally hurt on July 23, and has not played in more than two months. Cora said he expects that Mayer “is pushing” to play in the postseason.
“I actually talked to him, he feels really good. I think he took dry swings yesterday for the first time,” Cora said. “He’s been working hard throughout the process with (strength coach Kiyoshi Momose) and the trainers and that’s a great first step.”
Roman Anthony: ‘Be the Best Cheerleader’
As for Anthony, he said on Friday night that he is trying not to get ahead of himself on rehabbing and coming back.
“Getting there,” he said. “Not looking too far ahead. Just trying to do everything I can every single day to show up and maximize everything I can in order to try and get back as soon as I can.”
He’d said his goal was to be the best cheerleader he can for the team, but he won’t be able to do that, at least not for Games 1 and 2 on the road.
“For me, it was an unfortunate injury but I am doing everything I can to get back out there. And hopefully, I will play as soon as I can. Right now my job is to be the best cheerleader I can possibly be and just come here every day and support these guys,” Anthony said.
Red Sox Open With Garrett Crochet
Cora announced that, to the surprise of no one, Crochet would be the opening-game starter on the road. But the Red Sox did not know their opponent heading into the season finale, so Cora held back on announcing their Game 2 starter.
In fact, the roster as a hold won’t be decided until the opponent is known. But Game 2 will go to either Brayan Bello or Lucas Giolito, both of whom will have had ample rest. .
“We’ll talk,” Cora said. “Brayan got his rest, we’ll see where we’re at with Gio too, but we haven’t decided.”