Roman Anthony is going on the injured list with his right hand injury, after all. Boston Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy alerted reporters of the impending transaction on Thursday ahead of their series opener against the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays, a four-game set that marks the start of a seven-game homestand.
Anthony, who will turn 22 on May 13, hasn’t experienced any setbacks in his recovery, but the length of his absence merits calling up someone to take his place on the roster in the meantime, Tracy explained to reporters, per the Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo.
The Red Sox are bringing up catcher/infielder Mickey Gasper from Triple-A Worcester to fill Anthony’s spot, as has been widely reported.
Anthony is in his second MLB season. After turning heads upon his major-league debut, he signed an eight-year extension reportedly worth $130 million last year. In 2026, he’s mostly been playing left field and slotting in at designated hitter.
He clarified to reporters pregame Thursday that he’s healing up from a sprain on a ligament below his ring finger.
“For me, where I stand right now, how it’s gone on and the way that it’s felt over the last few days, when the IL stint is over, I plan to be in that game the next day that I’m off IL,” Anthony said, via WEEI’s Rob Bradford.
Anthony sustained the injury while fouling off a pitch during a 5-4 road win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday. He entered that contest on a four-game hit streak that featured a three-hit outing in a win over the Houston Astros on May 1.
That stretch was a good sign for Anthony, especially considering his slow start to the season, which has also seen him deal with back issues.
Anthony’s injury was first described as a sprained wrist, and Tracy characterized him as “day-to-day.” Although his X-rays were negative, he flew back to Boston from Detroit to see a Red Sox hand specialist for an MRI, which confirmed the sprain.
“Nothing too serious,” Anthony said of the injury Thursday, via Bradford, noting that he’s progressing. “The hand’s tricky. There’s so much that goes on in the hand, and I’ve never dealt with a hand issue before.
“I think just getting the news back, understanding that it’s nothing very serious is the best news that we could have gotten.”
In 71 games last season, Anthony slashed .292/.396/.463 with eight home runs and 32 RBI for a Red Sox squad that returned to the playoffs. Then he was a late addition to Team USA’s World Baseball Classic roster.
He hasn’t necessarily picked up where he left off in the majors, though. And his team got off on the wrong foot this time around. In addition to parting ways with manager Alex Cora and a collection of his coaches, the Red Sox have also been bitten by the injury bug.
Anthony hasn’t been immune from that misfortune. That said, the Red Sox are hopeful he’ll be back soon enough.
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