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Red Sox Legend Sends Message After Unfortunate Roman Anthony News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Elie Deglaoui | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 12:03 PM ET

With less than a month left in the season, the Boston Red Sox are in a good position to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

Boston (78-63) currently holds the second AL wild card spot but is in a virtual tie with the New York Yankees (77-62), both 3.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East lead. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, they were recently dealt a devastating blow that could make their World Series aspirations more of a pipe dream.

On Wednesday, the Red Sox placed outfielder Roman Anthony on the 10-day IL due to a left oblique strain. However, according to manager Alex Cora, the 21-year-old could miss four to six weeks of action, which would rule him out for at least the rest of the regular season. Furthermore, Boston would likely need to win a series or two in the postseason to give Anthony a chance to return this year (h/t Jake Roy of NESN).

#RedSox manager Alex Cora confirms that Roman Anthony is being placed on the injured list with an oblique strain.

(Via @WEEI) pic.twitter.com/lFdSTzRsv9
— NESN (@NESN) September 3, 2025

Following the news regarding Anthony, a Red Sox legend expressed his concerns for the team as October nears.

Jonathan Papelbon 'Worried' About Red Sox Ahead of Playoffs

With Anthony possibly out for the rest of the season, many are concerned about Boston's chances of making some serious noise in the playoffs, and that includes former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon.

The former World Series champion took to social media to express his worries about the Red Sox following Anthony's injury, as well as the absence of Wilyer Abreu, who has been out of action since Aug. 17 due to a calf injury.

"Ok so Roman Anthony is out for the rest of the regular season and Wilyer Abreu is not progressing like he thought. So yeah this is a problem and I am worried for the
@RedSox," Papelbon wrote on X.

Ok so Roman Anthony is out for the rest of the regular season and Wilyer Abreu is not progressing like he thought. So yeah this is a problem and I am worried for the @RedSox
— Jonathan Papelbon (@TheRealJPap58) September 3, 2025

There is still a lot of baseball left, and the Red Sox are still in a good position. However, Papelbon and the rest of the fanbase have legitimate reasons to be concerned about the team.

Since getting the call-up in May, Anthony has hit .292 with an OPS of .859. Furthermore, the Florida native has recorded eight home runs and 32 RBIs across that span.

It is clear that Anthony has a bright future in Boston, and he could be a big part of their success for a long time. However, for the time being, the Red Sox may have to figure out how to be successful without him as he recovers from a potentially season-ending injury.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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