Red Sox's Roman Anthony Exits Game 1: What It Means and Who Replaces Him

The Boston Red Sox had another scare with Roman Anthony exiting Game 1 on Tuesday.

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

The Boston Red Sox suffered yet another scare on Tuesday night.

In the sixth inning of a 2-0 game, the Red Sox pinch-hit Andruw Monasterio for outfielder Roman Anthony against New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler.

Andruw Monasterio is pinch hitting for Roman Anthony as the broadcast speculates an injury pic.twitter.com/jMtLSQMyOd

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 30, 2026

Monasterio struck out swinging against Schlittler, but more importantly, now the focus turns to Anthony and whether he is dealing with an injury that will force him to miss time.

After the game, Red Sox manager Chad Tracy shared that Anthony's right hand was "uncomfortable" and "flared" on a check swing. This is significant because it is the same hand/wrist that caused him to miss time between May 4 and Aug. 30. The Boston Globe's Tim Healey shared the news on X.

"Roman Anthony update: His right hand was 'uncomfortable' and 'flared' on a check swing, Chad Tracy said," Healey wrote. "That’s the same hand that sidelined him most of the season."

Roman Anthony Exited On Tuesday

Sep 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Roman Anthony (19) hits a single during the third inning against the Chicago Cubs at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At first glance, this obviously doesn't sound great for Boston. But as of right now, Anthony has not been ruled out beyond Tuesday night's contest. Wednesday morning is going to be the most important time for Anthony and the next steps for the organization. The reason for this is that if Anthony can't go and needs to be replaced on the roster, he would not be able to return in the American League Division Series if the Red Sox made it that far, per the league rules. Also, a position player would have to be swapped out for a position player.

If the Red Sox do end up needing to replace Anthony, the most obvious option would be the speedster Braiden Ward. Romy Gonzalez crushes lefties, but WEEI's Rob Bradford reported on Tuesday that he's still dealing with a "banged-up" elbow.

At the end of the day, what matters most here is Anthony being good to go. If he is, that obviously makes Boston better. And the Red Sox need their lineup to be as good as it can possibly be on Wednesday night with their backs up against the wall. Boston was blown out by the Yankees on Tuesday night, 9-0. The Yankees did that without Aaron Judge in the lineup. With another loss, the Red Sox's season will be over.

Now, we wait. Again, as of writing, Anthony hasn't been ruled out beyond Tuesday night's contest. The hope is that he wakes up on Wednesday and feels alright and that it was a freak thing. If not, Boston could be without its best offensive weapon in its most important game of the year.