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The Boston Red Sox will once again be without star slugger Roman Anthony against the New York Yankees on April 23. Anthony previously missed a matchup with the bitter rivals the previous day due to a sore back. According to Red Sox manager Alex Cora, Anthony initially experienced discomfort during a game on April 21.

“After the game yesterday, I said, ‘Just let me know how you feel tomorrow morning,’ and we go from there,” Cora said on April 22, as reported by MassLive. “He texts me early. He’s like, ‘I’m pretty sore.’ … So I’m like, ‘Well, let’s play smart.’ He doesn’t remember how it happened. It just felt tight.”

At the time, Cora was hopeful that Anthony would recover in time to play on April 23. Nevertheless, the manager has now told WEEI that the star will remain out. In his place atop the Red Sox batting order, Cora will use fellow outfielder Jarren Duran as the leadoff hitter against the Yankees. Center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela is expected to hit second in Boston’s lineup.

Although the update on Anthony is disappointing, the Red Sox do not believe that the issue is very serious. The aforementioned MassLive report claims that the sophomore slugger is not scheduled for X-rays or further medical testing. Nevertheless, Anthony previously suffered a Grade 2 left oblique strain back in September during a check swing. The issue caused the youngster to miss the remainder of the 2025 season.

Boston Red Sox Hope Roman Anthony Can Bounce Back After Injury

GettyRoman Anthony entered 2026 on a high note after starring for Team USA at the WBC.

Anthony and the Boston Red Sox entered 2026 with relatively high hopes. Despite losing All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman in the offseason, they were expected to be a playoff team once again. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers even predicted that Boston would compete for the American League East title. According to the writer, the team’s strong starting rotation and having Anthony for a full season would give the Red Sox an advantage.

Both the budding star and the team, however, have gotten off to a slow start in 2026. Anthony is currently slashing just .225/.361/.325 in 22 games so far this season. His OPS is over 170 points lower compared to a year ago. Despite this, Cora told MassLive that the outfielder has “been great” during the current campaign.

Anthony, however, is not the only underperforming player for the Red Sox this season. Infielders Trevor Story, Caleb Durbin, and Marcelo Mayer are all hitting under the Mendoza Line to start the campaign. As a result, Boston currently sits at the bottom of the division.

Boston’s Coach has Attempted to Boost MLB’s Fifth-Worst Offense

Cora has attempted to shake up his lineup with Anthony sidelined. As NESN’s Andrew Gould pointed out, only Willson Contreras kept his typical place in Boston’s batting order against the Yankees on April 22. Rafaela, who began the year in the nine hole, was Cora’s leadoff batter on the night. The moves, however, did not work as the Red Sox only managed one run on five hits in the game.

Boston Red Sox fans will hope that Anthony’s injury does not linger like it did in September. The team needs the star to be healthy if they want to turn things around and compete for a place in the playoffs come fall.