Roman Anthony's Imminent Return Makes Red Sox's Next Moves Clear

Roman Anthony has two games under his belt on his minor league rehab assignment and should be back with the Boston Red Sox in the very near future.

Anthony kicked off his rehab assignment on Aug. 18 with Double-A Portland and went 2-for-2 with a home run and two walks. Then, he had the day off on Wednesday before returning to action on Thursday night with Portland. The second game wasn't as explosive as the first. Anthony went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. The current plan is for Anthony to take the field with Portland again on Friday. The plan for Anthony hasn't been shared yet beyond that.

Regardless, his time his coming. The rehab assignment can last a maximum of 20 days. It could always be less, but it cannot be more, barring a setback. So, we're at the latest, a few weeks from Anthony taking the field for Boston.

When he does return, what will the lineup look like?

Earlier in the week, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy shared that the club is planning on Anthony batting lead off and getting time in left field and as the club's designated hitter.

Early on this season, the outfield was great for Boston, but presented question marks because of the logjam. Having Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Masataka Yoshida all healthy at the same time meant roles were tricky, and specifically, Yoshida didn't get consistent at-bats. That's not going to be the case when Anthony returns. Yoshida is on the Injured List with a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for at least the majority of the remainder of the regular season.

The Red Sox Have Some Decisions To Make

iMay 3, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Roman Anthony (19) warms-up before batting against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Designated hitter has been a revolving door for the Red Sox. Integrating Anthony back and having him get a lot of time at the spot down the stretch would be a positive. While Jarren Duran hasn't been up to his standards offensively this season, he is in the 88th percentile in outs above average.

The roster itself is going to look a bit different soon. Trevor Story is on his way back as well. The Red Sox will have to make a move to activate the veteran shortstop. Right now, the two guys to watch arguably are Anthony Seigler and Mickey Gasper. Seigler has been a spark plug for Boston, but he hasn't been getting as much time recently and sending him down for Story would be a seamless shift.

Gasper has been great for the Red Sox since coming back up to the majors, but someone will have to be sent down to get Anthony back on the roster. Nick Sogard would be someone else to watch, but he has been consistently starting at second base and is red-hot.

Roster changes are coming and Gasper and Seigler are the two to watch.

When everyone is back, here's what arguably would be Boston's best lineup.

1. Roman Anthony, DH
2. Ceddanne Rafaela, CF
3. Wilyer Abrea, RF
4. Willson Contreras, 1B
5. Adley Rutschman, C
6. Caleb Durbin, 3B
7. Jarren Duran, LF
8. Nick Sogard, 2B
9. Trevor Story, SS

This is the type of lineup that could make a deep run.

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