Red Sox's First Big Move After Alex Cora Firing Involves Roman Anthony

Important lineup move, right after the chaos

Apr 4, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Roman Anthony (19) runs to third base during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

What felt like just a few short hours after the firing decisions that rocked the Boston Red Sox organization, there was another game to play.

The Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora and five prominent members of his coaching staff on Saturday, turning an abysmal 10-17 start on the field into one of the most sudden, chaotic mass firings any team has ever experienced in the middle of a season. Then, on Sunday, another game came against the Baltimore Orioles.

When the Red Sox released the lineup for that contest, there was an interesting wrinkle to unpack. Outfielder Roman Anthony, who had been out since Tuesday with a sore upper back, was batting third as the designated hitter.

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Anthony's return awkward timing after Cora's exit

Anthony's return doesn't mean the Red Sox are fully out of the clear, especially when he's now had three minor to major back issues since the start of last August. It's a great sign to see him back in the mix, but he'll have to get back on defense and show his swing is back to full throttle before we can say anything with confidence.

Cora, who had been left to answer for Anthony's absences in four consecutive games, will now watch from afar (or not) as the youngster who was off to a rough start to the season before tweaking his back tries to get on track under the guidance of his former Triple-A manager, interim skipper Chad Tracy.

Anthony's first 22 games of the season featured a .225/.361/.325 slash line, one home run, four RBIs, 25 strikeouts, and a laundry list of bad throws from left field before he started to correct the issue last week.

It's hard to imagine Cora's impending firing had anything to do with the decision to hold Anthony out behind the scenes, but it's worth noting that according to a Sunday report from MassLive's Chris Cotillo, the wheels were in motion for Cora to be fired since at least Thursday, when Boston got swept by the New York Yankees at home.

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