Roman Anthony’s Absence Should Be Brief for Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox outfielder missed the club's contest on Wednesday, but it shouldn't be long until fans see him again.

Apr 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Boston Red Sox pinch hitter Roman Anthony (19) crosses home plate after hitting a home run against the Houston Astros during the ninth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox lost their second straight game against the New York Yankees on Wednesday night.

Boston sent Ranger Suárez to the mound and the Yankees turned to Max Fried. Ultimately, Fried got the last laugh. The Yankees star pitched eight shutout innings against Boston and allowed just three base hits while striking out nine batters. Suárez pitched 4 2/3 innings for Boston and allowed four earned runs. The Red Sox would go on to lose, 4-1.

Boston's offense stalled out once again on Wednesday night. The Red Sox were only able to muster up five base hits on the night, and three of them came from Jarren Duran. One thing that certainly didn't help is the fact that Roman Anthony wasn't in the lineup due to back soreness. When the Red Sox initially announced their starting lineup, Anthony's absence raised some eyebrows. Shortly before the game, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told the media that the reason Anthony wasn't in the lineup was because of his back and that it wasn't just a typical off day.

Boston can't afford Anthony to miss any time. After the club's 15th loss of the season already on Wednesday night, Boston is now 26th in runs scored with just 90. To put that number into perspective, the Colorado Rockies have scored 10 more runs than Boston (100), the Miami Marlins have scored 22 more runs than Boston (112), and the Tampa Bay Rays have scored 26 more runs than Boston (116).

The Red Sox Outfielder Missed Wednesday's Contest

Apr 15, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Roman Anthony (left) and center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela return to the dugout after scoring against the Minnesota Twins in the sixth inning on a double by shortstop Trevor Story (not pictured) at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Fortunately, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe shared on X that the current expectation is that Anthony will return on Thursday.

"Roman Anthony is out of the lineup because he has a sore back, Alex Cora said. The Red Sox hope he returns tomorrow," Healey wrote.

Nothing will be confirmed until the Red Sox release the starting lineup on Thursday, though. Last year, Anthony dealt with a sore back towards the beginning of August and it forced him to miss a few days. As of writing, all signs point to just a one-day absence, but we'll need to keep an eye on the lineup on Thursday.

On another note, Anthony really started to turn it on after dealing with back soreness in 2025. From August 6 through September 2, Anthony played in 25 games and slashed .306/.389/.520 with a .910 OPS, six homers and 13 RBIs. The Red Sox need that version of Anthony right about now.