The Boston Red Sox are desperate for an offensive spark after managing just 22 runs across their last 12 home games. However, the drama off the field may be drawing even more attention.
Their 2025 hero, Roman Anthony, has been sidelined since May 5 with a sprained ligament in his right hand, though the club kept him as day-to-day. Something that didn’t sit well with NBC analyst Michael Holley. His public criticism sparked a sharp response from Jarren Duran, but now former Red Sox star Mo Vaughn doesn’t appear impressed with how Duran handled the situation.
“Not that long ago, Michael Holley was on TV, and he was criticizing the organization for not being totally honest with the Roman Anthony situation. Duran responds to it on social media, he puts a post out there with Michael Holly calls him a clown…,” Vaughn said via WEEI radio. “You should be hitting the batting cage, figuring out your swing, and trying not to bring any heat to yourself.”
The drama unfolded after Holley called out the Red Sox for not managing Anthony well. “I understand why all teams do it, but let’s just be honest. All teams lie. They lie about injuries, they just do,” Holley said. “So when the Red Sox did it, like, why are we doing this? Why are you playing games with us? This is an unnecessary lie. We know you’re lying. Stop it. ‘He’s day-to-day.’ No, he’s not!”
The reason was clear. Anthony has been sidelined since May 5, and it’s already been more than 10 days. As per Holley, why would the Red Sox not keep him in the IL and put him in the rehab before returning? For the Red Sox, their poor offense could be a reason. Boston is currently ranked 28th in terms of total runs scored (166) and 22nd in terms of average (.234).
“You should be hitting the batting cage, figuring out your swing and trying not to bring any heat to yourself.” -Mo Vaughn says Jarren Duran needs to be more self aware before posting about @MichaelSHolley. @WEEI pic.twitter.com/c3h6LS8q1N
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) May 16, 2026
The team would have planned to activate Anthony once he gets fit. However, Holley questioned whether Anthony was even productive before the injury. Anthony was hitting .229 and scored just 1 homer before his injury. A stark contrast to his 2025 stats, when he batted .295. The only good news was Anthony is about to return. “We’ll re-evaluate tomorrow, a full treatment day, and we’re hopeful he picks up a bat on Monday and starts swinging. That all depends on how he feels tomorrow,” interim manager Chad Tracy said.
The issue followed after Duran took to social media to hit back at Holley.
“They let people like this on NBC Sports,” Duran shared Holley’s video, punctuated by clown and laughing face emojis.
Holley is a renowned name in the Boston sports community. Since 1997, he has been working with the Boston Globe and with NBC Sports. No wonder Duran’s jibe went worse, and he had to delete his Instagram following the huge backlash.
Vaughn wonders how Duran could stand by Anthony when he himself is struggling. Duran is currently hitting .176, and his OPS stands at a mere .534. In the third game against the Phillies, he couldn’t manage a hit from his 5 at-bats. So, as per Vaughn, more than calling out Holley for criticising the Red Sox, Duran should get back to the batting cage and improve his hitting.
Let’s now see if anything comes back from Duran against Vaughn. Till then, their pitching is the only good part to discuss.
The Red Sox’s pitching is good enough to win
The Red Sox’s pitching is standing on the opposite pole to their offense. While their offense is not even in the top-20 ranking, Boston’s pitching is ranked 8th in terms of ERA (3.71).
Garret Crochet is sidelined with an injury, but the remaining rotation has stepped up. Ranger Suarez is doing wonders, standing with a 2.44 ERA and recording 40 SOs till now. Against the Phillies, Suarez went scoreless till 5.1 innings. He left, keeping the score at zero, and the Red Sox bullpen held the Phillies until the seventh.
Moreover, Suarez, Brayan Bello, Connelly Early, Sonny Gray, and Payton Tolle have a combined 1.25 ERA in their last 10 outings. In 57 innings pitched, the group has given up eight earned runs, while punching out 57 batters. That sums up their dominance. Gray was especially dominant on Wednesday. He just returned from the IL and pitched six innings with just one run and six SOs.
Hence, the Red Sox’s pitching staff is doing its job, and it’s only their offense that is keeping the team at the bottom. If the batters could fire up on the field over social media, the team could still make a mark.
