BOSTON — Tuesday marks the fourth time in the last five days that Red Sox rookie Roman Anthony is serving as Boston’s designated hitter. But Boston is determined to make sure he keeps developing on the defensive side, too.
Alex Cora has made up 14 lineups since the Red Sox traded Rafael Devers to the Giants in a shocking blockbuster on June 15 and Anthony’s six starts as the DH represent the most by any player. In that span, he has also made six starts in right field and one in left. The Red Sox are trying to keep Anthony’s high-octane bat in the lineup daily, even against select left-handed pitchers. But they’ve been forced to take him out of the outfield in large part because he is the least-experienced defender in a strong group that includes Jarren Duran in left, Ceddanne Rafaela in center and Wilyer Abreu in right.
“It’s hard because J.D. (Duran) is a good one in left field, Ceddanne is the best defensive center fielder in the big leagues and our right fielder is a Gold Glover,” Cora said.
Still, the club knows keeping Anthony in the DH spot is not the best outcome for his long-term development. Anthony’s offense is what turned him into the No. 1 prospect in baseball but he is seen as someone who can also become an average-to-above average defender, likely in a corner. At Triple-A this season, Anthony logged 243 innings in left field, 89 ⅓ in center field and 36 in right. Keeping the 21-year-old in the defensive mix is an important goal for Cora and the coaching staff.
“I don’t want to make him a DH right away,“ said Cora. ”He needs reps in the outfield. He made a great throw the other day and here, he has made some great plays in right field. Keeping the balance, checking with the other guys with where they’re at physically, we’ll mix it up.”
To mix it up, as Cora said, the Red Sox can install one of their other outfielders as the DH for the day in an effort to get somebody off his feet. At-bats are going to be harder to come by soon, though, when Masataka Yoshida makes his return from the injured list (and season debut) in the coming weeks. Eventually, the Red Sox will likely need to make a trade to settle their crowded outfield mix. For now, it’s considered a good problem to have.
In May and early June, with Anthony raking in Worcester, the prevailing theory was that Boston would eventually promote him to play left field, move Duran to center and shift Rafaela to a super-utility role. Complicating matters is that Rafaela, in just his second big league season, leads all MLB outfielders in outs above average (13) and ranks second among big league center fielders in defensive runs saved (13). Offensively, he has turned the corner over the last month, hitting .306 with seven doubles, seven homers and a .907 OPS in 30 games dating back to May 27.
Simply put, sitting Rafaela is no longer an option. The Red Sox called up Anthony on June 9 when Abreu went on the injured list with an oblique strain and he debuted as a right fielder instead.
“(Rafaela) is doing an outstanding job defensively, leading the way out there,” said Cora. “Offensively, this is the best I’ve seen him at the plate. Under control, taking pitches, hunting pitches in certain areas… He’s playing well for us.”
The Red Sox are also encouraged that Anthony’s results are starting to match his under-the-hood numbers, which suggest he’s hitting the ball exceedingly hard on a regular basis and not chasing pitches at a high rate. Including his RBI double in the first inning of Tuesday’s game, Anthony is 9-for-19 (.474) with three doubles in his last four games.
“Same at-bats,“ mused Cora,” but getting results. Hitting the ball hard, not chasing pitches, dominating the strike zone. If you do that, the results will come. He’s doing an outstanding job with the process.”
Anthony, who has hit second for the Red Sox in four straight games, isn’t in danger of losing his lineup spot, either. Where he slots in positionally will be an everyday question. Anthony continues to work out with outfield coach Kyle Hudson on a daily basis before games.
“Playing in the outfield, we have to balance that but at the same time, he’s working,” Cora said. “He’s working hard with Huddy.”