Boston Red Sox Put Much-Anticipated Look at Top Prospect Trio on Hold as Roman Anthony Scratched

Roman Anthony, the No. 2 prospect in baseball, was scratched from the Boston Red Sox lineup ahead of their schedule game Friday afternoon against Northeastern University.

Manager Alex Cora said Anthony will sit out because he was sore after being hit in the right elbow by a pitch at practice on Thursday.

Anthony, an outfielder, was scheduled to bat leadoff and play left field. He was replaced in the lineup by recently signed veteran Trayce Thompson.

When Cora initially wrote the lineup, it had Anthony being followed by the team’s other vaunted prospect duo -- Kristian Campbell at second base and Marcelo Mayer at shortstop.

Both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline rank Anthony behind only Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki on their lists of top prospects. Campbell (No. 4 Baseball America, No. 7 MLB Pipeline) and Mayer (No. 15 Baseball America, No. 12 MLB Pipeline) fall behind him.

The annual game against Northeastern at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla., was set to showcase the trio, but fans now must wait for their joint debut.

If it’s any consolation, Anthony, Campbell and Mayer are projected to land in the majors at some point in 2025, then roam the grounds at Fenway Park for years to come.

And they are a tantalizing trio.

Anthony, 20, was a second-round supplemental draft pick out of high school in Florida in 2022 and has made a quick rise through the farm system.

Campbell, 22, started the 2024 season at High-A Greenville, then spent time at both Portland and Worcester. Combined, he slashed.330/.439/.558 with 20 homers, 77 RBIs and 24 steals in 115 games.

The No. 4 overall draft pick in 2022, Mayer, 22, spent the entire 2024 season at Double-A Portland. He batted .307 with 92 hits over 77 games, driving in 38 runs.

The time is coming that the three youngsters all will slot into the same Red Sox lineup. Fans in Fort Myers likely are disappointed that day isn’t Friday.

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