Red Sox Lineup: No Roman Anthony in Jake Bennett's Second Start

Thursday marks the start of a possible momentum series for the Boston Red Sox: four games against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays.

Boston knows all too well how big inter-division four-gamers can be. Last season, it was a four-game sweep of the Rays going into the All-Star break that set the Red Sox up to make the playoffs, perhaps more than any other series they played all year.

Manager Chad Tracy's lineup for Game 1 of the series features a standard lefty-heavy group against the Rays, who will open with righty reliever Griffin Jax. But for the third straight game, there will be no Roman Anthony.

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Anthony out, Yoshida in as Red Sox face Rays

May 1, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Roman Anthony (19) bats against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Here was the full lineup, as posted by the Red Sox to their official social media accounts:

Back home for a week! pic.twitter.com/u9zgCv2zqu
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 7, 2026

1. Jarren Duran LF
2. Willson Contreras 1B
3. Wilyer Abreu RF
4. Trevor Story SS
5. Masataka Yoshida DH
6. Ceddanne Rafaela CF
7. Marcelo Mayer 2B
8. Connor Wong C
9. Caleb Durbin 3B

SP: Jake Bennett

Anthony, who injured himself on a foul ball in the first inning of Monday's game, flew back to Boston to see a specialist and will sit out for the third-straight game, unless he's brought in to pinch-hit. Yoshida, who started just one of Tracy's first nine games as interim manager, gets the nod for the second straight day.

It's a big opportunity for Bennett, who is probably the odd man out in the Red Sox rotation if Ranger Suárez can avoid the injured list. Sonny Gray returned from the 15-day injured list on Wednesday, but because there was no off-day this week, Boston could afford to go with a six-man rotation even if Suárez was ready to go by Saturday.

Meanwhile, Jax seems to be slowly transitioning from an opener to a true starter, after the Rays stopped using him in high-leverage situations early in the year and had him throw 2 2/3 innings his last time out. He's got a deep arsenal, and the Red Sox could expect to see him from anywhere between 45 and 60 pitches on Thurday.

First pitch from Fenway Park will be at 7:10 p.m. ET.

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