The Red Sox walked out of Yankee Stadium with a 9-0 loss in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series and an even larger concern hanging over their clubhouse: Roman Anthony’s troublesome right hand and wrist flared again in his brief postseason debut.
Anthony leaves after two at-bats
Anthony, serving as Boston’s designated hitter, struck out twice against Yankees starter Cam Schlittler before being lifted in the sixth inning. Andruw Monasterio took over as a pinch-hitter after Anthony could not comfortably finish his swings.
Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said the issue surfaced when Anthony tried to hold up on a swing and then took another cut.
“He took a check-swing and then another swing, and his hand flared up,” Tracy said. “It became uncomfortable, so we had to make the move.”
- Anthony went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in his first postseason game.
- Monasterio replaced him in the top of the sixth inning.
- Boston lost 9-0 and now must win Game 2 to keep its season alive.
- Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
The same injury area that cost him months
The discomfort involved the same right hand and wrist that sidelined Anthony from May 7 through Aug. 30. His original injury came on a check-swing foul ball in Detroit on May 6, when he partially tore a tendon near the joint connecting his right ring finger to the wrist.
Tracy said Anthony had not experienced a setback of this severity since returning from the injured list roughly a month ago.
“Nothing like this,” Tracy said. “Coming back from that kind of injury, you can get a little zinger now and then, feel something and have it disappear. But what happened tonight was more serious and uncomfortable.”
There was no firm answer after the game on whether Anthony could be available for the elimination game.
“It’s difficult to say right now,” Tracy said. “He was clearly in a lot of discomfort, and we had to take him out. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.”
A key bat suddenly in doubt
The 22-year-old left-handed hitter had uneven production after his return, but he still supplied some punch down the stretch. Over his last 103 regular-season at-bats, Anthony hit .262 with a .321 on-base percentage and .476 slugging percentage, driving four homers and 10 RBIs.
Tuesday was supposed to mark his first chance to contribute in an October game. Instead, his debut lasted two plate appearances. Anthony also missed last year’s playoffs because of a left oblique strain, making the latest injury scare particularly frustrating for a club that has spent much of the season absorbing losses to important players.
Red Sox turn to the next man
Third baseman Caleb Durbin said the Red Sox know what is at stake if Anthony cannot go in Game 2, but he pointed to the roster’s history of filling gaps throughout the year.
“Roman is a big part of this team, no question,” Durbin said. “Nobody wants to see him out of the lineup. But this is the time of year when it’s next man up. Guys have stepped forward for us all season, and that won’t change now.”
Boston will need that response immediately. The Yankees have the series lead, Anthony’s status remains unsettled, and the Red Sox have one game left to extend their October stay.
