Aug 22, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Roman Anthony (19) prior to the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Red Sox's Alex Cora Reveals Message To Roman Anthony After Devastating Injury

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 7:52 AM ET

What do you say to your star rookie when he learns he's going to miss the most exciting part of the baseball season?

Roman Anthony was quickly becoming the heartbeat of the Boston Red Sox lineup. He put up an .859 OPS and 3.1 bWAR in his first 71 games, and the Red Sox were 44-27 in games he played. But disaster struck at pretty much the worst possible time.

After suffering an oblique strain during a fourth-inning at-bat against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday, the Red Sox learned Anthony would likely be out for about six weeks, as manager Alex Cora was glum to report on Wednesday.

Cora's message to Anthony is heartbreaking for Red Sox fans

Anthony was supposed to be the Red Sox's leadoff hitter for every important game the rest of the way. Instead, he'll be watching from the sideline. It truly isn't fair, but the baseball schedule is unforgiving.

In the meantime, Cora told Anthony the only thing he can do is visualize a return during the later rounds of the playoffs -- if the Red Sox can somehow get themselves there without him.

“I told him to envision ALCS, first at-bat,” Cora said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “That’s what I told him. Just put that goal in your mind and hopefully it happens.”

Anthony, meanwhile, said all the right things in the wake of his injury, yet it was obvious how much he felt the pain of the realization he wouldn't get to play in any big games for a month or more.

“I don’t want to set any realistic or unrealistic goals,” Anthony said, per Smith. “I think for me it’s just a matter of showing up every day and doing everything I can in the training room and everything I can: sleeping, diet to make sure I’m physically and mentally in my best shape and just try to get out there as soon as I can.”

The championship series will begin almost exactly six weeks after the injury, with Game 1 scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 12.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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