The Red Sox are lining up a big boost for Sunday’s series finale against the Yankees, with Roman Anthony and Trevor Story expected to come off the injured list and rejoin Boston in New York.
Interim manager Chad Tracy said after Saturday’s doubleheader at Yankee Stadium that both players are on their way to the city after what was likely their final rehab games at Triple-A earlier in the day. The club still has some roster housekeeping to sort through before the moves become official, since both Anthony and Story are on the 60-day IL and Boston will need to open spots on the 40-man roster.
"They're coming," Tracy said after his team's doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, per NESN. "Not sure what we're doing yet (with the roster).
We'll figure that out. But obviously they went through everything, and we'll figure out what we're gonna do there."
Asked directly whether either player would be active Sunday, Tracy didn’t tip his hand.
"We're still gonna talk about that."
Both have been out since May. Anthony hurt his wrist during an at-bat on May 4, while Story had surgery for a sports hernia later that month.
Anthony, last year’s AL Rookie of the Year finalist, was hitting .675 OPS with one homer and five RBIs in 130 plate appearances before the injury. The 22-year-old looked sharp during his rehab assignment, batting .280/.367/.600 over eight games in August split between Double-A and Triple-A.
Story’s rehab numbers weren’t nearly as clean. The 33-year-old slashed .171/.189/.200 in 37 plate appearances with Worcester, though he did get a hit in Saturday’s game. Even so, the 11-year veteran gives Boston another veteran bat and, just as important, some stability at shortstop.
Without Story, the Red Sox have used five different players at short, with Andruw Monasterio and Nick Sogard handling the spot recently.
Anthony’s return also gives Boston flexibility. Rather than throwing him straight back into left field, the Red Sox can ease him in as the designated hitter. That would push aside the DH platoon of Mickey Gasper and Jahmai Jones, who have filled in since Masataka Yoshida got hurt.
"I think it's really important for us to get those guys back. We need them," first baseman Willson Contreras said, according to MassLive's Christopher Smith.
"But it's also important to recognize the job or the work that the whole line has been put in for the last three months. ... I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but we do have to recognize the job that the guys are doing for this team, and we couldn't have done what we've done without them."
Boston has stayed afloat and then some while Anthony and Story were sidelined, climbing to the No. 5 seed in the American League. The Red Sox are also three games behind the second-place Yankees in the AL East as they prepare for what could be a notable Sunday reset.
In Other News...
Red Sox September Roster Crunch Could Cost Familiar Names Their Role
September is bringing the usual roster squeeze in Boston, only this one comes with a few recognizable names on the way back. The Red Sox are expected to get healthier as Trevor Story, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Roman Anthony re-enter the picture, with Curtis Mead also possibly in the mix, and that kind of depth tends to reshape the edges of the roster quickly.
For players already in place, the question is less about whether they belong than how often theyll actually get to play. Anthony Siegler, Jovani Morn and Jarren Duran are among the current names most likely to feel the pressure as the club balances returns from injury with possible additions from the minors, and the next round of roster decisions could say plenty about how Boston wants to distribute at-bats and innings down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Ceddanne Rafaela Is Making Bostons Contract Bet Look Better Than Ever
Ceddanne Rafaela has turned into one of the most encouraging developments in Bostons season, not just because his bat has taken a step forward, but because the improvement has come alongside the kind of all-around game the Red Sox hoped they were buying into when they locked him up before the 2024 season. His rise has put him in the mix for American League Silver Slugger recognition in the outfield, a nod that speaks to how much more complete his profile looks now than it did when the deal was signed.
The contract was already viewed as a smart bet for Boston, but Rafaelas progress has made it look even better. Offensive growth tends to get the attention, and rightly so, yet his defensive value remains a major part of the package, giving the Red Sox a player who can change games in more than one way. For a team always balancing present value with long-term cost control, that combination is about as good as it gets. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Let Big Opportunity Slip And Sunday Just Got Bigger
The Red Sox came away from Saturday with a split against the Yankees, and it left the standings looking much less friendly than they might have after the opener. Boston rolled to a 6-0 win in the first game of the doubleheader, then dropped the nightcap 9-2, a result that put New York back in front by three games and tightened the pressure heading into the final meeting of the series.
Sunday now carries a different kind of weight for Boston, with Ranger Surez lined up to start against Yankees right-hander Will Warren. After missing a chance to make a bigger statement in the middle of a packed weekend, the Red Sox get one more shot to change the tone before the series and the standings head in a very different direction. [Read more 🡒]