The Boston Red Sox’s offense has surged significantly of late. Thanks in large part to the emergence of Roman Anthony. The 21-year-old rookie was selected in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, and since his call-up back in June, he has established himself as one of the most elite hitters across the league.

Anthony started all three games against the Houston Astros, who were brutally swept by the Red Sox this weekend. Afterwards, he was set for another statement game against the Kansas City Royals. However, he was scratched just before the game started.

While Anthony was warming up shortly before the game, the cameras caught him wincing in pain and discomfort. Soon enough, it prompted manager Alex Cora to rush from the dugout towards the umpires. He reshuffled the lineup, and Anthony’s outing was over before it even began.

The confusion remained throughout the game, even after the Red Sox handed an 8-5 loss to the Royals. After the game, the Red Sox finally provided the much-awaited clarity on Anthony. The 21-year-old was dealing with “mid-back tightness,” as the Red Sox said. In his absence, Wilyer Abreu took over the right field. He went 2-for-3 with an RBI and also delivered crucial outfield help during the eighth inning that stopped the Royals from taking a lead.

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Abreu had struggled lately, especially when he goes against lefties, but he still got the nod in the right field this time and helped the Red Sox secure their sixth straight win.

Meanwhile, Anthony’s plate discipline has been unmatched. Across 46 games so far, he has batted. 283 with 2 home runs, 15 doubles, and 19 RBIs. He currently ranks third in pitches per plate appearance (4.16) since his big league debut on June 9th.

After the game, Anthony himself opened up about the injury.

Roman Anthony breaks silence on the injury scare

After the game, Anthony admitted feeling off while he was warming up before the game. “Felt something as I was stretching on the line. Just was super uncomfortable and just relayed that quickly and just decided we were going to shut it down…it was super sudden.” Later, it turned out that the discomfort was actually “mid-back tightness,” and it led to a lineup shuffle in the last minute.

Anthony will not go for an injured list stint, as confirmed by manager Cora. However, they will sit him out in Tuesday’s game against the Royals as well. The good news is Anthony is feeling better already. “I’ll get with the training staff and figure that out, but it’s already trending in the right direction and feeling better than where it was at earlier,” he added.

This injury scare is still a concern because the Red Sox cannot afford even a minor setback at this point. They have performed exceptionally well of late and are one of the hottest teams in the American League right now. They are also currently ahead of their archrivals, the New York Yankees, in the AL East and are trailing the Toronto Blue Jays by only three games.

Anthony has been the main character in the Red Sox’s recent surge. He has delivered consistently in the outfield and has been just as incredible at the plate. The Red Sox rely heavily on him, and for now, it’s a relief for the club that it’s just a minor niggle and nothing more!