The Boston Red Sox may need an emergency replacement for Roman Anthony after his injury against the New York Yankees, and could find it in an unlikely place.
Anthony was forced out of Tuesday’s game after suffering an apparent hand injury. There were some immediate suggestions that he reaggravated an injury suffered in the final regular-season game, putting his availability for the rest of the series at risk.
Red Sox Could Bring Immediate Help After Roman Anthony Injury
If Anthony is unable to play for the rest of the series, one reporter suggested the Red Sox could call up a 27-year-old who has yet to appear in a MLB game.
As reporter Tommy Cassell noted in a post on X, the Red Sox could have two clear options to add to the roster if Anthony is out for good.
“If Roman Anthony is hurt, would you rather see Romy Gonzalez (bat) or Braiden Ward (speed) added to the roster?” Cassell wrote.
Ward was left off the playoff roster. The 27-year-old outfielder and second baseman has been in Boston’s minor-league system, hitting .251 with six home runs in a 83 games with the Worcester Red Sox this season. Ward was a 16th-round pick by the Colorado Rockies in the 2021 MLB draft.
Red Sox Would Need to Petition MLB to Remove Roman Anthony from Playoff Roster
Cassell noted that the Red Sox would need to make a decision on whether Anthony could potentially return this series, then petition MLB to make a roster change.
“Here’s the rule for replacing an injured player in the playoffs: A club may request permission from the Commissioner’s Office to replace a player who is injured during the course of a series, but that player is then ineligible for the rest of that round and the subsequent round, if there is one,” Cassell wrote. “A pitcher may be replaced only by another pitcher, and a position player only by another position player.”
Red Sox Predicted to Call Up Lifelong Minor Leaguer After Roman Anthony Injury