The Boston Red Sox are on an absolute tear, hitting a scorching 40-13 record over their last 53 games, pulling off yet another late-inning comeback just Monday night. The wild part? The guys making it happen, the so called “role players” like Mickey Gasper who had his fourth time on base against the Giants, might not even be around for much longer. A serious “line change” is coming for this Red Sox roster, and it is going to shake things up, big time.
Roman Anthony’s Green Light
Roman Anthony’s situation is the least complicated of the upcoming roster moves. He is moving his rehab up to Triple-A today and we will likely see him back with the big club this week, just before that huge four-game series against the Yankees this weekend. With Masataka Yoshida recently hitting the IL, Anthony slots into some kind of LF/DH hybrid role pretty easily. Management unfairly dumped a lot of pressure on the 22-year-old before this season, but nobody’s arguing he should stay in the minors once he is healthy.
The Infield Mess Boston Fans Are Dreading
Here is where things get truly gnarly. Trevor Story has been out since May 14th, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa since June 18th. Both are rehabbing right now, and with rosters expanding on September 1st to allow for a 14th position player, it looks like one will be activated before that date, and the other on September 1st. Here is the kicker: Story and Kiner-Falefa were both on the team for the entire “vibes are bad” part of the season. Fans on social media are definitely not clamoring for Story’s return. He put up a negative-0.5 fWAR and a 46 wRC+ in 41 games. Sure, he was playing hurt, with “many, many injuries,” but the numbers are rough.
Now, look at Anthony Seigler. The Red Sox are 44-19 in games where Seigler is on the active roster. Compare that to their 29-43 record when Kiner-Falefa was active. Seigler’s wRC+ is 99, while Kiner-Falefa’s is 98. It is not just a little better, it is a whole different vibe, a winning vibe.
This weekend’s pivotal four-game series against the Yankees just got even spicier with Anthony likely back in the lineup. But the real drama is going to be in that infield. How do you sit a guy like Seigler who has literally defined winning for you this season? The Red Sox front office has some seriously tough calls coming up, and their fans better brace themselves. This is not just about getting healthy bodies back, it is about whether they mess up a winning formula that has been absolutely humming.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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