“Just progressing but slowly. Not the way we envisioned when the injury happened.” In early September, Alex Cora quietly admitted their right fielder’s struggles to WEEI. In a race where every swing and sprint counts, “slowly” doesn’t just feel slow; it sounds like a ticking postseason clock. However, a new update is here about the player’s injury as the Yankees and the Red Sox gear up to include another layer of rivalry highlights.

Wilyer Abreu, Boston’s breakout right fielder, has been dealing with a right calf strain since mid-August. Abraham Toro hit a sacrifice fly with one out in a game against Baltimore, and Abreu scored. But he pulled up in pain as he crossed home plate. At first, it seemed like a cramp, but it turned out to be the injury that put him on the 10-day IL since August 21, leaving the Red Sox looking for solutions. And as per the latest update, the BoSox will have to wait a little longer.

Tim Healey, the Red Sox beat writer for the Boston Globe, shared the latest update via X. “Wilyer Abreu (right calf strain) has a “good chance” to return next week, Alex Cora said. But not this weekend during the Yankees series.” So while Red Sox Nation holds its breath for this important divisional showdown, their defensive anchor will be watching from the sidelines. The timing suggests that Abreu might come back during the series against the Athletics (Sept. 16–18), only if his running session on Saturday goes well.

Before the injury, Abreu was having a good momentum at the diamond.

In 108 games, he’s smashed 22 home runs, driven in 69 runs, and logged nine outs above average, placing him in the 96th percentile defensively. Plus, he has a 9.9% walk rate, which is second-best on the team after Anthony. So, when he hit the IL, it was Roman Anthony who took his position subsequently with Rob Refsnyder and Jarren Duran.

Boston is very close to the NYY in the Wild-Card rankings, as their tiebreaker advantage over the Yankees is vital down the stretch. Abreu’s return would have given the Red Sox both a strong defense and a boost to their offense. But now that he won’t be playing, it will be interesting to watch who Alex Cora would go with between Refsnyder and Duran or someone new. But why not Anthony?

The Red Sox just got hit with another setback in the form of injury to yet another RF, who took the Abreu position!

Double Trouble in the outfield: Red Sox face crunch as Roman Anthony joins Abreu on IL

The Red Sox lineup’s confidence took a hit when Roman Anthony hurt his oblique. According to Alex Cora, the rookie outfielder, who had been lighting up the offense since he was called up in June, will be out for four to six weeks. This leaves Boston one man short at a crucial time.

The offense has already gone flat without his spark at the top. In four games, Boston batters are hitting just .222 with a .563 OPS, no homers, and an average of 3.5 runs per game—not good for a team that needs timely bursts.

After the MRI revealed the worst, Cora’s message was both realistic and strong. “He’s going on the IL. He has an oblique strain. Timetable, we don’t know… Usually takes from 4–6 weeks.” He added, “He’s one of our best offensive players. It sounds harsh, but we have to move on…” The team needs to unite, regardless of who is not in uniform.

With both Anthony and Wilyer Abreu out—Abreu is still slowly recuperating from a calf strain—Cora now has to deal with an outfield problem and a growing roster strain as September gets hotter. Ceddanne Rafaela, Nick Sogard, Nate Eaton, and others will have to take on jobs they didn’t expect to have to do.

Boston needs its veterans to step up and provide support more than ever before. Cora’s message is clear. “There’s been a lot of stuff with this team, and we’ve been able to keep going, so I expect the group to keep doing the same thing.”