Insider’s Bold Take For Red Sox Despite Roman Anthony Loss

The Boston Red Sox lost a key cog at the top of the lineup when Roman Anthony went down with his oblique injury.

Since Anthony went down, the news hasn't been overtly positive. MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo recently shared that it would be a "miracle" if Anthony were to return before the regular season ended.

"It would be a miracle for the Red Sox to get Roman Anthony back by the end of the regular season, which concludes on September 28," Cotillo said. "But another starting outfielder is still on track to return to the roster."

Unsurprisingly, the Red Sox's offense has scuffled since losing Anthony. When you lose a hitter batting near .300 and getting on-base at a near .400 clip, it's tough to recover regardless of how old the player is. There has been plenty of doom-and-gloom talk since Anthony went down, but ESPN's David Schoenfield sees it another way. In fact, Schoenfield said it's "not real" that the Red Sox can't win the World Series after the Anthony loss and compared it to the Atlanta Braves winning after Ronald Acuna Jr. got hurt in 2021.

The ESPN insider has high expectations for the Red Sox still

Aug 28, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (19) celebrates after hitting a single during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

"Real or not: Without Roman Anthony, you can kiss a World Series title goodbye," Schoenfield said. "The rookie phenom just went down with a strained oblique and could miss four to six weeks, which means he might be out for at least the start of the postseason. With Anthony in the starting lineup, the Red Sox are 40-26, but when he hasn't started they're under .500. Anthony had not only been the spark at the top of the lineup with a .396 OBP but was starting to tap into his power in August, hitting .317/.400/.561 with six home runs in 21 games before the injury. Now, the Red Sox will not only have to hold on to a playoff spot without him, but they will also probably need to win at least a postseason series or two without him.

"Verdict: NOT REAL. It's a huge blow, especially given his hot bat of late, but the record with Anthony in the lineup coincides with better performances up and down the roster since the beginning of July -- especially from the work of Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello in the rotation to help back up ace Garrett Crochet.

"The Red Sox also have the best closer in the game in 2025 in Aroldis Chapman, who has a ridiculous .346 OPS allowed and 0.98 ERA; a red-hot setup reliever in Garrett Whitlock (a 1.47 ERA and no home runs since mid-May); and enough depth to fill in for Anthony, especially if they can get Wilyer Abreu back before the end of the regular season. It won't be easy without Anthony, but it could be a similar scenario to the Braves losing Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2021 and still winning the World Series."

This is one person's opinion, but it does show that the perception around Boston right now is higher than social media would make you think. It's tough adjusting without Anthony, but there's enough here to still be very excited about this team.

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