The Boston Red Sox, after Tuesday’s 11-7 victory over the Cleveland Guardians at Fenway Park , remained just 2 1/2 games out of first place in the American League East division. But they may have seen their pennant hopes fade anyway, and it all started with a check swing.
Roman Anthony, the Red Sox’s former top prospect and No. 1 prospect in baseball, has been the most important catalyst for Boston this season. He was called up from Triple-A Worcester on June 9 and took a couple of weeks to make the adjustment to big league pitching, garnering just six hits in his first 47 at-bats, but when he made it, the Red Sox season turned completely around.
The 21-year-old from West Palm Beach, Florida, had his breakout game on June 28, when he stroked three hits — the first of his 24 multi-hit games so far in his rookie season — in a 15-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
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The Red Sox had a sub-.500 record of 40-43 coming into that game. Since then, Boston has won 38 while losing 19, a winning percentage of .667. Having Anthony in the lineup has been transformative for the Red Sox.
Since ending his initial, 16-game slump, Anthony has picked up 69 hits in 210 at-bats, an average of .329. His .917 OPS in 40 games since the All-Star break shows what the Red Sox saw when the signed their rookie superstar to an eight-year contract extension at a total price of $130 million.
That’s why, in the words of veteran third baseman Alex Bregman, it was a “gut punch” to the team when Anthony exited the game after a fourth-inning strikeout clutching his left side. He did not return.
According to manager Alex Cora, Anthony experienced “tightness” in his left-side oblique muscle, and was feeling “sore.” Cora said Anthony would undergo an MRI test on Wednesday, and that’s when the team would know more about the rookie’s fate.
Anthony himself later told reporters that he had never suffered an oblique injury before, but that the injury felt worse than the back issue he endured earlier in the season that kept him out for one full game.
Asked by reporters for his “concern level” about the malady, Anthony responded, “I’m not really sure,” as quoted by the Red Sox cable network NESN and posted on X.
The Red Sox are already missing 2024 Gold Glove outfielder Wilyer Abreu. On Tuesday, Cora said he was not sure when Abreu would be game-ready again, making Anthony’s prompt return all the more important.
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