Red Sox Game-Changer: Roman Anthony, Trevor Story to Return vs. Yankees

The Boston Red Sox will wrap up their four-game series against the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon and Red Sox Nation will finally see the change that they have been waiting for.

Roman Anthony and Trevor Story will finally return.

Anthony hasn't played in a big league game since May 4. Story hasn't played in a big league game since May 14. The two had been on a minor league rehab assignment, but were taken out of Triple-A Worcester's contest on Saturday early, packed up their bags, and were on the way to New York.

Roman Anthony and Trevor Story leaving Polar Park together with their Red Sox bags packed. pic.twitter.com/EQwvWcub3s
— Tommy Cassell (@TommyCassell_) August 29, 2026

Anthony and Story aren't just traveling to watch baseball and join the team. MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo reported that the expectation is that both Anthony and Story will be activated off the Injured List on Sunday for the finale against New York.

"The Red Sox are expected to activate both Anthony and Story from the injured list before Sunday’s series finale in the Bronx, sources told MassLive late Saturday," Cotillo wrote. "Both players were seen leaving Polar Park in Worcester with their bags packed after playing for Triple-A Worcester earlier in the day."

It's been months since both of these two stars have taken the field wearing Red Sox uniforms. Finally, that will change and Anthony made it clear that he feels ready to help this team down the stretch, as transcribed by Tommy Cassell of the Worcester T&G Sports.

"I'm ready," Anthony said. "I feel like I'm ready. So for me, I've felt somewhat ready since the first game in Portland and I think I'm just understanding that with that comes volume and all the different things that go into a rehab assignment and for me it was about getting back out there and, I said it before, [but] getting back into baseball mode, right?"

What Roman Anthony And Trevor Story Bring To The Table

iMay 3, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Roman Anthony (19) warms-up before batting against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Anthony and Story out of the mix for a while, it's easy to forget what they can do. That has specifically been the case when it comes to Story. There have been endless comments from the fanbase about Story on X and most haven't been positive. But if he's fully healthy, he's going to help this team.

Think back to the playoff push last year. Story was one of the only players who was consistently hitting down the stretch for Boston. The vast majority of the lineup went cold and Story carried the load. From Sep. 1, 2025 through the end of the regular season, Story slashed .302/.337/.458 with a .795 OPS, three home runs, 12 RBIs, seven stolen bases, six doubles and 14 runs scored in 23 games played. When healthy, Story can do a bit of everything offensively. He has power, speed, and can hit for average as well. He struggled to kick off the 2026 season, but wasn't fully healthy. Now, he's healthy and it's time to see what he can do.

For Anthony, he also struggled early on this season, but he dealt with multiple injuries. Obviously, he's been out due to the hand/wrist injury. But he also dealt with some back soreness early on.

He looked good throughout the rehab assignment and hit .280 with two homers, two doubles, seven RBIs and four walks in eight games. If he can get back to the level he was at last year down the stretch, we're talking about a game-changer. When Anthony broke into the big leagues last year, he quickly became one of the best offensive weapons in the game in general. Boston needs that.

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