Roman

Anthony

It’s a small solace for Red Sox fans who watched their team get eliminated in the playoffs while Anthony was sidelined with an oblique strain. However, the 21-year-old phenom, who finished third in AL Rookie of the Year balloting, heads into the offseason fully healthy and look to establish himself as a true fantasy star next season.

Kurtz received all 30 first-place votes to become the 28th unanimous Rookie of the Year winner. His teammate Jacob Wilson finished second, while Roman Anthony placed third, with Noah Cameron and Colson Montgomery also receiving second-place votes in AL ROY balloting. The 22-year-old burgeoning superstar delivered one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in recent memory, slashing .290/.383/.618 with 64 extra-base hits — including 36 homers — and 86 RBI over 117 games. He seems destined to be one of the more polarizing fantasy sluggers next spring, but there’s a strong case for including him in the first-round conversation.

Kurtz is the slam-dunk favorite after delivering one of the most transcendent rookie seasons in recent memory, slashing .290/.383/.618 with 64 extra-base hits — including 36 homers — and 86 RBI in just 117 games. Anthony might have made things interesting had the Red Sox called him up before early June. The 21-year-old phenom immediately became their top-of-the-order catalyst, slashing .292/.396/.463 with eight homers and 32 RBI in 71 games before an oblique injury ended his season in early September. Wilson looked like the early-season frontrunner before a fractured left forearm in late July cost him nearly a month and derailed his second half. The fact that two Athletics cracked the final three in balloting says plenty about the direction of the franchise. The winner will be announced on Monday, November 10.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora gave an obligatory update on Anthony’s status prior to Tuesday’s AL Wild Card Series opener against the Yankees. The 21-year-old rookie sensation is not close to making it back from an oblique strain and appears likely to miss a significant portion of the postseason, even if Boston winds up making a deep run.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Monday that Anthony is no longer dealing with any oblique-related pain or discomfort, but still has “quite a bit of room to go in terms of baseball activity.” It sounds like the Red Sox are leaving the door ajar for the possibility that Anthony could make it back during the postseason, but he’s not particularly close at the moment with less than one week left before the playoffs get underway.

Anthony has yet to resume baseball activities after hitting the injured list back on September 3 with a left oblique strain. Boston’s offense has gone into a tailspin since his departure from the leadoff spot, but it seems highly unlikely that he’ll be ready for the postseason with a potential Wild Card series roughly two weeks away at this point.

As expected, Anthony will be out at least two weeks with the strain, and it does appear this could be a season-ending injury for the 21-year-old rookie. It’s possible he could be an option if/when Boston makes the postseason, but for now, Nick Sogard takes his place on the roster.

Anthony left Tuesday’s game against Cleveland with tightness in his left oblique, and the expectation is that will keep him out of the lineup for the next week-plus, at minimum. Nick Sogard is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Worcester to replace the 21-year-old rookie. Just how much time Anthony will miss will likely be determined by imaging.

Not ideal. Anthony will undergo further evaluation and testing to determine whether a trip to the injured list is necessary. The hope for the Red Sox and fantasy managers is that the 21-year-old rookie’s exit was merely precautionary. Oblique issues are notoriously tricky and often linger, so this situation bears close watching. There should be a definitive update on his status ahead of Wednesday’s series finale.

Anthony appeared to grab at his lower back and left side after striking out in the fourth inning and was replaced in right field by Nate Eaton to open the fifth. He finished 1-for-3 with an RBI prior to leaving the contest. It’s cause for significant concern since the rookie phenom missed a couple games last month with mid-back tightness. As fantasy managers are aware, back and oblique issues can be complex matters. There should be a definitive update on his status at some point shortly.