Roman Anthony Headed to IL With Sprained Finger, Boston's Lineup Takes Another Hit

Per the team's announcement, Red Sox manager Chad Tracy confirmed that outfielder Roman Anthony is being placed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained ligament in his right ring finger. Utility man Mickey Gasper gets the corresponding recall. Anthony says he expects to return after a minimal IL stint, but finger ligament sprains have a way of lingering beyond optimistic timetables.

Anthony entered 2025 as one of the most hyped prospects in Boston's recent memory, and the early returns this season have been underwhelming. The sprained ligament diagnosis adds a potentially meaningful data point to that narrative — grip strength is foundational to both bat speed and plate coverage, and a compromised right-hand finger for a right-handed hitter isn't a minor footnote. If he's been swinging through this for weeks, the underlying performance numbers deserve a second look once he's healthy.

Gasper steps in as the stopgap. He's a versatile roster piece but not a difference-maker in the lineup — his presence essentially represents a net negative swap in Boston's offensive ceiling on a day-to-day basis. The Red Sox were already navigating a rotation of lineup questions, and losing Anthony, even temporarily, compresses their margin for error against quality pitching.

For bettors, the immediate impact lands on Boston's team total. Gasper's bat provides limited upside, and any game where Boston is already facing a strikeout-heavy starter becomes a more attractive lean toward the under. Watch the BOS team total lines over the next 10-plus days — sportsbooks may be slow to fully reprice the lineup depth loss, particularly in matchups where the Red Sox open at 4.5 or higher. Anthony's absence also shelves any hits or total bases props tied to him directly, removing what should have been a near-everyday at-bat producer from the pool entirely.