Standout rookie outfielder Roman Anthony of the Boston Red Sox is headed to the injured list with a left oblique strain, manager Alex Cora said on WEEI on Wednesday. Infielder Nick Sogard is expected to take his spot on the active roster.
While Cora did not commit to a firm timeline for Anthony, he noted that such injuries typically take four to six weeks to heal. If that’s the case for Anthony, then he may miss the remainder of the regular season and perhaps part of the playoffs, should the Red Sox earn a berth.
“It sounds harsh,” Cora said of the loss of Anthony, “but we have to move on.”
Anthony suffered the injury after striking out in the seventh inning of Boston’s eventual 11-7 win over the Guardians on Tuesday. He was slated to undergo an MRI on Wednesday.
Anthony, who entered the 2025 season as the top prospect in baseball, made good on his promise and earned a call-up in the second week of June. Since arriving in Boston, the 21-year-old former second-rounder has slashed .292/.396/.463 (138 OPS+) with eight home runs, four stolen bases, and a WAR of 3.1 in just 71 games.
Anthony’s been an essential part of the Red Sox’s surge back into contention, and he was an essential part of their designs on overtaking the Blue Jays in the American League East (+450 to win the division, per Caesars). Now, though, the Sox will be forced to withstand the loss of a player who may have been their most valuable contributor for almost the last three months.
Boston enters Wednesday’s slate of games with a record of 78-62. They’re 2 ½ games behind first-place Toronto, and they’re tied with the Yankees for the top wild card spot in the AL.