How Long is Roman Anthony Out? Injury Timeline, Possible Return, Updates on Red Sox Outfielder

How Long is Roman Anthony Out? Injury Timeline, Possible Return, Updates on Red Sox Outfielder originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox have dealt with their fair share of injuries in the early 2026 MLB season, and they suffered another major scare with superstar outfielder Roman Anthony, who exited Monday night's game against the Detroit Tigers early after injuring his hand.

After the game, Anthony said he "never even had any pain in my hand before, so we'll see what happens." Though manager Chad Tracy said that X-Rays were negative, Anthony was sent back to Boston.

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Here are the latest injury updates on the Red Sox star and his projected return.

Roman Anthony injury updates

On Thursday, May 7, the Red Sox placed Anthony on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Tuesday) with a wrist injury. But, Anthony clarified to reporters that the injury is a sprained ligament under his right ring finger.

Though Boston was hopeful an IL stint could be avoided, their star ends up there after being out of the lineup for the third straight day.

After Boston's 5-4 win in the series opener on Monday against Detroit, Anthony was diagnosed with a wrist sprain and was initially day-to-day.

"Just took a swing and it didn't feel good," Anthony said to reporters. "As I came back in and went under to continue to swing, it just was painful."

How long is Roman Anthony out?

Per MLB.com, Anthony can return as soon as May 15 when the Red Sox open up a trip against the Atlanta Braves, and "that is the plan."

“For me, where I stand right now, how it's gone on and the way it’s felt over the last few days, when the IL stint is over, I plan to be in that game the next day,” Anthony told reporters.

X-rays came back negative, signaling that there was no break. But, the MRI showed that Anthony has a sprain and will hopefully return as soon as he's available.

How Roman Anthony injury impacts Red Sox's lineup

Entering the offseason, the Red Sox had five outfielders who could start on a daily basis: Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Masataka Yoshida, and Wilyer Abreu.

Now, that depth is a requirement rather than a luxury. Anthony’s exit likely shifts Rafaela into a permanent role in center field, keeping Duran and Abreu in the corners. Yoshida will take the majority of Anthony's at-bats from the DH position.

While the Red Sox have the defensive coverage to weather the blow, replacing Anthony’s .312 average and team-leading OPS is a far more difficult task. Tracy will now look to Yoshida and the veteran core to provide the power needed to keep the lineup afloat while the team awaits more news on their superstar's hand.