Inside The Red Sox

Why Red Sox No. 1 Prospect Roman Anthony Was Scratched From Spring Training Opener

Seems as though everything is okay...
Jackson Roberts|
Feb 18, 2025; Lee County, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (48) participates in media day at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Feb 18, 2025; Lee County, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (48) participates in media day at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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Boston Red Sox

Certain things can incite panic in a devoted Major League Baseball fan base, and scratching a top prospect from the lineup is one of them.

When the Boston Red Sox initially released their starting lineup ahead of Friday's spring training opener against Northeastern University, number-one prospect Roman Anthony was batting leadoff. Then, suddenly, he was replaced by recent minor-league signee Trayce Thompson.

Sometimes, the thought when a prospect is scratched is that the youngster was involved in a trade, but Red Sox fans are fairly confident at this point that Anthony isn't going anywhere. That meant everyone was initially thinking he had suffered an injury.

While Anthony's absence is injury-related, it thankfully doesn't appear to be anything serious.

According to Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald, Anthony was scratched due to elbow soreness resulting from a hit-by-pitch during live at-bats on Thursday. Ian Browne of MLB.com reported that manager Alex Cora said, "He's sore," when asked why the 20-year-old outfielder wasn't available.

Anthony was also pictured shortly after being scratched, appearing to be preparing for a round of batting practice on one of the back fields at the Red Sox's spring training complex.

There's no reason for the Red Sox to force the issue, especially because they're competing against a college team on Friday. There are still 34 days until the Red Sox's season opener, which should provide plenty of time to evaluate Anthony.

That evaluation is important not only to get the youngster the reps he needs to get ready for a pivotal season, but to decide whether he should appear on the Opening Day roster.

Ideally, Anthony will be right back on the lineup card when Boston plays the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.

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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

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