Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is officially done for the 2026 AL Wild Card series against the New York Yankees, a brutal blow coming right after their Game 1 blowout loss. This isn’t just a minor tweak either. After getting pulled from Tuesday night’s game, Anthony was diagnosed with new damage to the muscles in his wrist, plus he aggravated that pesky hand injury that’s been bothering him all season.
The Injury Just Got Way Worse For Anthony
Man, talk about bad timing. Anthony had to leave Game 1, and the team wasted no time sending him back to Boston for more imaging. Red Sox Manager Chad Tracy didn’t mince words on Wednesday, saying, “He was sent back last night after leaving the game. We sent him back to Boston for extra, additional imaging which actually revealed some new strains to different muscles in his wrist in addition to exasperating the old injuries. It’s not great.” No kidding, coach. He’s reportedly out “for the foreseeable future,” which sounds incredibly grim when you’re in the middle of a Wild Card fight. This wrist issue is a fresh hit on top of the hand injury that’s plagued him. Remember back on May 4 when he got that partial tear in the tendon connecting his right ring finger to his wrist from a check-swing? Yeah, that kept him out for 101 games, and he only just returned on August 29. Talk about an absolutely rotten year for injuries.
What This Means for the Red Sox Lineup
Anthony’s absence leaves a huge hole, especially since he was batting leadoff and DH’ing in Game 1. He didn’t have his best night, going 0-2 with two strikeouts before getting pinch-hit for in the sixth inning by Andrew Monasterio, who also went 0-2 with a strikeout. For Game 2, Jahmai Jones is stepping in, taking over the leadoff and DH duties. Anthony, at just 22 years old, played in 55 games this season, slashing .245/.339/.396 with five homers and 15 RBI. That’s a significant bat to lose, especially when your season is on the line. Teams can change their 26-player postseason roster before each round, and while Anthony can only be replaced by another position player, he’s now guaranteed to miss the Divisional Round too, if Boston somehow pulls off a miracle.
And that miracle? It’s looking tough. The Red Sox got absolutely clobbered in Game 1, losing 9-0 to New York. They now have to win tonight to force a Game 3, or their season is over, just like Anthony’s Wild Card series. Tonight’s game is everything.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply