Red Sox Receive Roman Anthony News Before MLB Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gavin Groe | Last updated Mar 19, 2026 6:05 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox feature one of the league’s most talented young cores. Headlining that group is left‑handed slugger Roman Anthony.

Anthony debuted last year and immediately met expectations. The 21‑year‑old posted a .292 batting average, .396 on‑base percentage, .859 OPS, eight home runs and 32 RBIs across 71 games.

That performance earned him a long‑term extension to keep him in the organization for the foreseeable future. Boston signed him to an eight‑year, $130 million contract last August, keeping him under club control through the 2034 season.

Unfortunately for Anthony, his rookie year ended prematurely. He exited a September game after an uncomfortable swing, and it was later confirmed he suffered a left oblique strain. He attempted to return for the MLB playoffs but was unable to, and the Red Sox were eliminated by the New York Yankees in the Wild Card round.

Boston Red Sox right fielder Roman Anthony (19)Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Since then, Anthony has made a full recovery, and the injury is not expected to affect him moving forward. That has already proven true, as Anthony spent the past two weeks at the World Baseball Classic suiting up for Team USA.

He was added to the roster as an injury replacement for Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll, who was removed due to a right hamate bone fracture.

Anthony delivered an electric tournament for the Americans. Across seven appearances, he went seven‑for‑25 with two home runs, seven RBIs and five walks. Despite his efforts, Team USA fell in the final to Venezuela.

With the tournament over, questions emerged about when Anthony would return to Red Sox camp. On Thursday, the team finally received clarity, as Anthony officially returned as one of the early arrivals (h/t Chris Cotillo of MassLive).

Anthony, Contreras, Suarez and Weissert were among early morning arrivals here in Fort Myers. Whitlock and Abreu will likely be here by the end of the day.

Red Sox apparently making some roster cuts, too, now that they're back to full strength. Expect some NRIs sent down.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) March 19, 2026

This is important because Anthony is expected to play a central role in Boston’s lineup immediately. His presence in camp allows the Red Sox to finalize their batting order, defensive alignments and overall game plan with their most promising young hitter back in the mix.

Anthony is already emerging as the face of the franchise. Selected in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, he has developed into one of baseball’s best young hitters. With Boston aiming to reestablish itself as a regular postseason contender, he will be leading the charge.

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

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