Inside The Red Sox

How Red Sox's Roman Anthony Call-Up Affects Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Others

It's a huge day in Boston on many levels...
Worcester left fielder Roman Anthony runs on a fly ball against the Durham Bulls May 23.
Worcester left fielder Roman Anthony runs on a fly ball against the Durham Bulls May 23. | Rick Cinclair/Telegram & Gazette / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The long days of waiting are over for the Boston Red Sox and their fans. Roman Anthony is here.

On Monday, the Red Sox officially called up Anthony, the number-one prospect in baseball, according to multiple sources. Christopher Smith of MassLive had the initial scoop.

Anthony's arrival is obviously a huge deal, as the 21-year-old outfielder was tearing up Triple-A and hitting near-500-foot home runs. But among the reasons it took this long to call him up is the fact that the Red Sox already have a logjam of young position players. Fitting Anthony into that mix is going to be tricky.

So how does Anthony's call-up affect other members of the Red Sox? Let's run through some of the key names.

Wilyer Abreu, the Red Sox's starting right fielder, is headed to the injured list, as reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. At the time of publication, the Red Sox haven't shared the nature of the injury, but when he gets back, he's going to be competing for his spot in the lineup.

Trade rumors will be loud around Boston this summer, and Abreu is sure to hear his name tossed around. But Jarren Duran's name might be heard even more often, because the 28-year-old was already confirmed to be a target of the San Diego Padres.

Ceddanne Rafaela will start in right field on Monday night in Abreu's absence. That appears to be a sign that the 24-year-old, who was on track to win a Gold Glove in center field, could be shifting around to other positions as needed. If Duran and Abreu both stay put, the former will likely play center more frequently, with Rafaela also factoring into the middle infield picture.

Rafael Devers will remain the designated hitter, because that's what he wants to do and he's doing a phenomenal job.

Kristian Campbell's days in the outfield should be over. The Red Sox now have four outfielders who deserve full-time consideration, plus Rob Refsnyder, who is going to be in the lineup whenever a lefty is on the mound.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on others to produce. When Abreu gets back, Abraham Toro, Romy González, David Hamilton, or even Trevor Story could see significantly reduced playing time, and someone will have to be removed from the active roster.

It's a massive day for the Red Sox, and Anthony could be a shot in the arm for a team that hasn't been able to rise above .500. But it's also a warning to a huge portion of the roster: The kid needs at-bats, and those could be taken from you if you're not performing.

More MLB: BREAKING: Roman Anthony Era To Officially Begin With Red Sox


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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org