It was a frustrating Tuesday night for the Boston Red Sox offense as they were silenced by a dominant performance from New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler en route to a 9-0 Game 1 loss. The biggest story from the loss wasn’t Schlittler’s continued dominance over his hometown team, but the departure of Roman Anthony, who was replaced by utility man Andruw Monasterio in the sixth inning after his right hand “flared up,” keeping him out of the initial lineup for Wednesday's Game 2. 

With Anthony out of the lineup, do the Red Sox have any hope of extending their season and forcing a win-or-go-home Game 3? 

Anthony’s departure from Tuesday’s loss was shrouded in mystery, as the team said nothing about why he was removed until manager Chad Tracy spoke to reporters after the game.  “The hand- he took a check swing, and then another swing, and the hand flared on him,” Tracy said after the loss. “It got uncomfortable, so we had to make a move there,” he continued. 

The hand, of course, refers to his right hand, which had a torn ligament in the ring finger, keeping the 22-year-old outfielder out of the lineup for 101 games from May 5 to Aug. 30. 

While the severity of the injury isn’t known just yet, Tracy certainly didn’t do Anthony any favors in the words he used to describe the injury, namely, terming it simply as “uncomfortable.” After a 162-game regular season, 52 players on both sides are dealing with lingering injuries that are assuredly “uncomfortable” to play through. 

Look at the Red Sox side alone: Caleb Durbin has been playing through multiple pinky dislocations since late June; Ceddanne Rafaela is battling a nagging quad strain; Willson Contreras is playing just days after saying he couldn’t grip a bat without pain in his right hand. Playing through uncomfortable injuries is simply par for the course in the postseason, across all sports. 

Tuesday’s apathetic offensive performance was merely a continuation of a concerning trend for the team that finished September as the worst offense in baseball nearly across the board, scoring 71 runs in 24 games, comfortably the lowest mark in baseball. 

When looking at the team’s poor production over the last month of the regular season, it’s easier to list the players who performed well than those who didn’t: Anthony and All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman, both of whom ended the season on a high note. In the final seven games of the regular season, Anthony hit .333/.375/.633/1.008. While Rutschman hit .333/.355/.567/.922. 

Entering the season, expectations were that Anthony, the former No. 1 overall prospect in the sport, would carry the offense in place of the traded Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman, who departed in free agency. After a strong performance in the WBC, the hand injury kept him from establishing himself as that star player. Now that he was back on the field, the postseason was supposed to be his coming-out party. 

Now, struggling outfielder Nate Eaton has replaced him in the lineup after limited appearances in 2026. Even at less than 100 percent health, Anthony’s presence in the lineup is more valuable to the team than Eaton's, given his ability to work deep into counts, draw walks, and set the table for the heart of the order. 

Pain management is par for the course in the postseason, and unless the injury puts Anthony’s 2027 season in jeopardy, he should have battled through the discomfort and been out there for Game 2. If he’s not, he’ll have the next five months (maybe more with the ongoing labor dispute) to get that hand healed up. 

Sonny Gray (18-5, 2.72 ERA) gets the start for Boston as the Red Sox attempt to keep the season alive. Veteran left-hander Max Fried (5-5, 2.80 ERA) will take the mound for New York. First pitch is set for 8:15 p.m. ET.