Red Sox Lose Roman Anthony for ALWCS as 2 Replacements Emerge

The Boston Red Sox can't seem to catch a break and will not see Roman Anthony for a bit.

Aug 30, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (19) hits a single during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Roman Anthony will not play again in the wild-card series for the Boston Red Sox, even if they force a Game 3 with a win on Wednesday night against Max Fried and the New York Yankees.

Anthony left Game 1 early and unsurprisingly, the update about the young star wasn't a positive one on Wednesday. Red Sox manager Chad Tracy shared that Anthony was sent back to Boston on Tuesday night for imaging and it revealed "new strains to different muscles."

"He was sent back last night after leaving the game," Tracy said, as transcribed by MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo. "We sent him back to Boston for extra, additional imaging which actually revealed some new strains to different muscles in his wrist in addition to exacerbating the old injuries. It’s not great."

Bad News For Boston

Sep 29, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (19) is introduced before game one of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Anthony is out for the foreseeable future now. Cotillo reported that both Curtis Mead and Anthony Seigler are being considered to replace the young outfielder on Boston's wild-card roster. The idea of replacing Anthony on the roster isn't as simple as it would be in the regular season. The Commissioner's Office has to approve a roster change when it comes to an injured player. If the league were to approve a change, Anthony wouldn't be eligible for the next round either, if Boston could find a way to advance.

So, with Anthony out, we now know he will at least miss Game 2 and a potential Game 3 as well as the American League Division Series, at the very least, if Boston can even advance.

Mead hasn't played in a game for Boston since July 27. That actually was his first — and only — game for Boston after being acquired ahead of the trade deadline. He fractured his wrist and has been working his way back since. He was scheduled to head to Fort Myers over the weekend, along with Garrett Crochet, and wasn't ruled out for the first round. If he's healthy, he would be the better of the two options. He had 17 homers in 2026, despite playing only 88 games. But his health and lack of game action are big ifs around Mead.

Seigler was a spark plug for Boston throughout the 2026 season. His last game in the majors came on Sep. 12.

At the end of the day, Boston needs something at this point. With Fried on the bump on Wednesday night and Carlos Rodón still looming in the bullpen, adding a righty would make sense. But all in all, not a good situation for Boston.