Roman Anthony’s recent hot streak came to an abrupt end on Monday night. During Boston’s 5-4 win over Detroit, he took a check swing at a Tyler Holton pitch and grabbed his right hand in discomfort. He was diagnosed with a sprained ligament near his right ring finger and sent to the 10-day injured list.

The timing of it all seems tough because he is currently in his first major offensive slump.

“Obviously not where I want to be, but just got to keep getting better every day,” Anthony said. But when asked if he has tried to hold a bat, the Red Sox outfielder said, “I haven’t tried that yet, so yeah, not sure.”

Anthony also shed some light on how he was handling the time on the IL emotionally.

“I mean, as you would expect. I want to be out there with the guys,” Anthony said. “Obviously, I’m happy that they just got the job done and got a great sweep. I think the team we look great. For me, it was frustrating, you know, I started to feel good in the box, started to really settle in, and you never want things like that to happen, but it’s part of it. So, just gotta get better as fast as I can, and do what I can to get back out there with the guys.”

The Red Sox gave Anthony an eight-year, $130 million extension after his standout rookie year, but he struggled to live up to it right away. Through 14 games, he was hitting just .200 with a .321 slugging percentage and a single homer. Instead of making excuses for the rough start, he owned it.

“I’m not hitting,” Anthony said bluntly. “It’s early, but it’s obvious, right? It’s no secret. I’m just not where I want to be. But I’m feeling better every day, so….New month, time to just reset.”

Anthony, though, insisted that he is a slow starter, and might have been right. Before his injury, Anthony was finding his form. He was batting .264 in the last 15 games, and just as he was feeling good, he landed on the IL.

But Anthony’s struggles extended beyond batting averages. Through thirty games, Anthony produced only five RBIs. His 27.8 % strikeout rate also raised concerns because Anthony was known for his plate discipline.

To fill Anthony’s roster spot, Boston recalled Mickey Gasper from Triple-A Worcester. Gasper earned the opportunity after batting .296 with six homers and 27 RBIs in the minors. Meanwhile, Masataka Yoshida will now have to take up the mantle and step in for Roman Anthony.

Interim manager Chad Tracy also defended Anthony while discussing Boston’s larger offensive issues. Tracy specifically highlighted Anthony’s ability to reach base, even when he is struggling to drive in runs.

Now, this IL stint could quietly become the mental reset Anthony probably needed during this rough patch. Boston’s expectations went up after Anthony signed the extension and became the franchise cornerstone.

And when his bat started to fall short, Boston removed Anthony from the leadoff spot and put him third in the order. If everything progresses smoothly, Boston could finally see the Roman Anthony that gave us one of the best rookie seasons we have seen.

The Red Sox offense has more questions to answer

Losing Anthony is a blow, but the Red Sox have larger issues. Sitting at 16-21, Boston keeps wasting strong pitching with a dead offense. The team has scored three runs or fewer in 19 games this season.

Roman Anthony entered May batting .229 with one homer before suffering another frustrating wrist-related injury. Along with him, other key players are also struggling:

• Caleb Durbin was batting .127 while recording only 6 RBIs in the 16 games he has played.
• Marcelo Mayer initially hit .186 before finally delivering encouraging at-bats during Boston’s recent Detroit sweep.

The Veterans have also not exactly steadied things.

Trevor Story entered May batting .192 while striking out 24 times during another frustrating month. Meanwhile, Willson Contreras became Boston’s brightest hitter, posting eight homers alongside an impressive .936 OPS.

However, clubhouse chaos started after Contreras questioned younger players and their mindset during the slump. The veteran said, “It’s really hard when you go up to bat, and if you look at the scoreboard, your numbers are not there.”

Mayer answered, saying, “To me, that’s just kind of an excuse: blame the young guys.”

Still, the Red Sox showed some life during their recent sweep of the Tigers. Big wins on Tuesday and Wednesday brought back the clutch hitting that’s been missing all year.

Manager Chad Tracy noted the lineup looks more relaxed late in games. Now, Boston hopes Anthony can use his time on the IL to clear his head while the rest of the offense heats up.