Star Boston Red Sox rookie Roman Anthony left Tuesday night’s 11-7 win against the Cleveland Guardians because of left oblique tightness and will undergo an MRI on Wednesday, according to manager Alex Cora.
Anthony could be seen grabbing at his lower back on a swinging third strike in the bottom of the fourth inning. He did not take the field in the top of the fifth, with Nate Eaton replacing him in right field at Fenway Park.
“I don’t know,” Anthony told reporters after the game when asked if he’d need a stint on the injured list. “I wish I knew. I haven’t dealt with something like this before. So I’d be lying if I said I knew. But again, we’ll know in the morning, I’m sure.”
Anthony’s absence would be significant for a Red Sox team just 2½ games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. Anthony has been a catalyst to Boston’s resurgence since his June callup, with the 21-year-old hitting .291 with an .861 OPS, eight home runs and 31 RBIs entering Tuesday.
Anthony entered the season as baseball’s No. 1 prospect. He has since signed an eight-year, $130 million extension with the team.
“Obviously losing Roman today is a gut punch,” third baseman Alex Bregman told reporters. “Obviously one of the best players in all of baseball, but we got to continue to push along and nobody needs to try and do more. No one needs to try and do more than they’re capable of. They just need to try and execute their game plan the same way that we’ve been talking about all year long and continue to find ways to win.”
Teammate Marcelo Mayer, who entered the season as baseball’s No. 6 prospect, joined the big league club before Anthony in May but has since had season-ending wrist surgery. Kristian Campbell, the third of Boston’s touted prospects, opened the season as the club’s starting second baseman but was sent down to Triple-A Worcester in June after some early struggles.