It appears that Roman Anthony might not be returning to the Boston Red Sox before their series against the New York Yankees. Tommy Cassell of the Worcester Telegram-Gazette reports that the star outfielder is at Polar Park.
This likely indicates that Anthony will continue his rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester instead of returning to the Red Sox lineup for their series against the Yankees. He’s been out since May 5 after partially tearing a ligament in his right ring finger the day before against the Detroit Tigers.
Red Sox fans were hoping to get Anthony back ahead of their series against the Yankees. Section 10 podcast host Jarred Carrabis summed up the fan reaction to this news.
The next news item to drop will be whether or not the Red Sox announce a roster move. Most likely, interim manager Chad Tracy will provide some update on Anthony status, and when he might possibly return to the lineup.
UPDATE: Cassell later reported that Anthony is not in Worcester’s lineup. So it’s either a scheduled off day, or something bigger. This situation could have a lot of moving parts.
Fellow Red Sox rehabber Isiah Kiner-Falefa was already scheduled to have an OFF day today.
What the Latest Roman Anthony Update Means for the Red Sox
The hopes the Red Sox would activate Roman Anthony for this upcoming series against the Yankees grew dimmer the night before. Anthony spoke about getting at-bats in Worcester and how his and Trevor Story’s timelines aren’t necessarily linked.
The Red Sox have potentially three players ready to come off the 60-day injured list over the next week. Along with Anthony, shortstop Trevor Story (sports hernia surgery) and utility infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa (left forearm) are rehabbing in Worcester.
That could also indicate that the club is waiting until they return to Fenway Park to activate Anthony from the injured list. They start a quick three-game homestand against the Seattle Mariners on August 31. In the meantime, he’d play at least two more rehab games with Worcester if that’s the case.
There are a lot of moving parts regarding the roster over the next week. Anthony, Story, and Kiner-Falefa will all likely get activated from the injured list by September 1. They’ll need to make at least two active roster moves and one 40-man move to do so.
Red Sox Take on Yankees with Postseason Seeding on the Line
The Red Sox take on the Yankees in a critical series that could determine who hosts their potential Wild Card rematch. The two American League East clubs are currently the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds.
That was something that the Red Sox likely didn’t envision the last time these two teams squared off. But that four-game sweep of New York at Fenway Park on June 25-28 served as the start of Boston’s insane turnaround. In just a matter of two months, the club went from the cellar to creeping up on their division rival in the standings.
Whoever wins this series would have the edge for hosting the Wild Card round. The Red Sox currently have a 5-4 record this season against their archrival, so a series win would also mean they clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker.
They’ll play four games this weekend, including a doubleheader on August 29. For the second game of that doubleheader, the team can carry a 27th player. That player won’t be Roman Anthony due to the rules regarding that roster spot.
Red Sox Get Major Roman Anthony Update Before Yankees Series