Two Red Sox stars, Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony, essentially had lost seasons, and it all apparently started with injuries that were initially misdiagnosed as minor. That’s a brutal blow for any team, and it’s got people wondering if this offseason should kick off with a deep dive into the Red Sox’ training and medical staff.
The Injuries That Weren’t So Minor
Remember Caleb Durbin and his pinky? Dude dislocated it way back on June 24, literally the day before Boston went on a crazy 15-game winning streak. But the injury didn’t even slow him down, he stayed on the field the whole rest of the season. Durbin told the media in September, “It doesn’t quite straighten or bend all the way. There really is kind of a joint understanding that we’ll get it looked at at the end of the season if we have to, because whatever the diagnosis is, it’s not going to impact my decision to play at all.” He eventually got that “proximal interphalangeal joint reconstruction,” which is a fancy way of saying they fixed his pinky, and it turned out to not be a major injury after all. But that’s the kicker, right? Durbin’s pinky was fine, yet the team had “plenty” of other major injuries, and the fact that Crochet and Anthony’s issues were apparently fumbled early on means this isn’t just bad luck. This is a real problem. Anthony’s potential is still sky-high, but he absolutely needs a full, healthy season. Is that hand injury gonna keep nagging him? Will it actually heal up completely? Does he keep bouncing between left field and designated hitter? What are we even looking at for a full season from Anthony? So many questions for a guy with so much talent.
The Story That’s Still Unwritten
Anthony isn’t the only one staring down a pile of questions this offseason. Trevor Story is on that same list, but his situation is even more complicated because his future isn’t entirely up to him. Franklin Arias, a prospect in the system, has a promotion timeline that’s gonna have a major domino effect on the entire roster. If Story ends up having to shift positions, it’d likely be to second base, a spot he knows well. But then what happens to Curtis Mead? It’s a real puzzle. While Arias isn’t playing in the Arizona Fall League this year, some other Sox prospects are, and Antonio Anderson is definitely making some noise. He smacked a grand slam over the weekend and has been one of the league’s top hitters in the Fall League so far. That’s a little good news in a sea of uncertainty for Boston.
We’re still a long way from free agency, no doubt about it. But the buzz about Sonny Gray returning to baseball has everyone already thinking about next year’s rotation. If Gray doesn’t re-sign with the Red Sox, it sounds like they’ve already got an early look at some free agent options to fill that spot. Get ready, Red Sox fans, because with all these questions piling up, next season is already looking like a wild ride just trying to figure out who’s gonna be where.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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