Aug 27, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (19) celebrates hitting a solo home run during the first inning with third baseman Alex Bregman (2) against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

The Biggest Question Facing Red Sox For Playoff Push

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox are just a few weeks away from potentially -- and likely -- returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

Since 2021, the Red Sox have had two last-place finishes in the American League East and finished at .500 last year at 81-81. Boston is already at 78 wins with 21 games remaining in the regular season. Right now, the Red Sox have the No. 2 American League Wild Card spot and are just a half-game behind the New York Yankees for the top spot. The Red Sox still have a shot in the AL East in general as they are just 3 1/2 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place.

How will the Boston Red Sox get through?

That's all of the happy. Right now, there is a lot of negativity out there though not reflected in the standings. Boston just suffered a significant blow with Roman Anthony out with an oblique injury. Right now, it seems like his regular season is done. That is a big deal but would be a little easier to deal with if Wilyer Abreu wasn't on the Injured List right now as well. That's where Boston's biggest question mark for the rest of the season comes from. Where is the offense going to come from?

Anthony is an on-base machine and was setting the tone at the top of the lineup hitting near .300 and getting on base at a near .400 clip. That's insane. Plus, it just makes things easier for the rest of the lineup. When Abreu returns -- if he comes back soon -- he should provide pop to the lineup. He's second on the team with 22 home runs and third in RBIs at 69 despite playing just 108 games. It's unknown when that will be, though.

In the meantime, the Red Sox are going to need to rely heavily on Trevor Story, Alex Bregman, Jarren Duran, and Ceddanne Rafaela to set the tone. Beyond these four, you'll have guys like Nathaniel Lowe and Romy González at first base, David Hamilton in the mix, Carlos Narváez, and Masataka Yoshida among others. Story, Bregman, Duran, and Rafaela are the four that need to set the tone to keep the Red Sox's offense afloat over the next few weeks, though.

Right now, it would be a big shock if the Red Sox missed the playoffs. Now, it's only a matter of figuring out this lineup.

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

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