Alex Cora Announces Roman Anthony News After Removal From Red Sox Lineup

The Boston Red Sox have stumbled to a 9-14 record entering Wednesday, sitting in last place in the American League East. While it is still only April, the Red Sox have already built themselves a sizable early hole.

The lineup as a whole has underperformed, and that includes their best player, left-handed slugger Roman Anthony, who has quickly emerged as the face of the franchise.

Anthony may be going through a sophomore slump in his second season in Boston. The 21-year-old has posted a .225 batting average, .361 on-base percentage, .686 OPS, one home run and four RBIs across his first 22 appearances.

That production is well below expectations. Last year he was so impressive through 71 games that the Red Sox signed him to a nine-year, $130 million extension to keep him in Boston for the foreseeable future.

It is still early, and Anthony has plenty of time to turn it around. But on Wednesday, he was hit with an injury setback.

Before the game against the New York Yankees, manager Alex Cora announced that Anthony is dealing with a sore back. He is listed as day-to-day, with the hope that it will be only a one-game absence and that he can return for Thursday's series finale (h/t Tim Healey of the Boston Globe).

The update came minutes after Boston released its lineup, which did not include Anthony. Jarren Duran took over in left field, while Andruw Monasterio was listed as the designated hitter.

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

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) April 22, 2026

The good news is that the injury does not appear serious. Still, Anthony has already dealt with injuries early in his MLB career, and the Red Sox cannot afford to lose him for an extended stretch.

Last year, he suffered a season-ending left oblique strain, and Boston was eliminated immediately in October. Anthony's future remains bright even after the sluggish start. He was Boston's second-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, dominated the minor leagues and spent time as the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball.

The Red Sox need him healthy and producing if they hope to climb out of their early-season hole and reestablish themselves as a contender.

Related: Red Sox Announce Trade With Cardinals on Monday

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This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 1:08 PM.