Roman Anthony entered spring training with a legitimate shot to make the Opening Day roster for the Boston Red Sox. Barely a week into action, and those odds have already increased even more.
There are two main reasons for that. First of all, Wilyer Abreu is dealing with health issues termed a "gastrointestinal infection." It still isn't 100% clear what is happening, but the lack of details feels a little concerning. We still have a few weeks before the start of the regular season, but you have to wonder if Abreu will be ready to go for Opening Day. On March 7, Alex Cora said the outfielder is behind schedule, and hasn't even swung a bat with three weeks until the start of the season.
Second, Anthony's play has made him a spring standout so far. As of March 2, the lefty outfielder is 4-for-13 (.308) with one double. He's recorded four RBI and scored three runs. Anthony has also only struck out one time while walking four times.
The 20-year-old has reached base in all six games in which he's appeared. Unfortunately, he's recently been sidelined with the nasty stomach bug rippling through Red Sox camp, but hopefully, he can return to action soon.
Roman Anthony standing out in Red Sox spring training, Wilyer Abreu illness could be his way onto Opening Day roster
We always knew there was a chance Anthony played himself into a spot this spring. He's performing to a level that warrants the promotion discussions. What we couldn't have expected was a spot potentially opening up in a loaded outfield this quickly.
Abreu had a phenomenal rookie season and won a Gold Glove in right field. Barring a trade, it was hard to imagine Abreu not being a mainstay in the 2025 lineup.
Now, we don't even need to squint our eyes to envision that Abreu-less lineup to start the year. Before February, a big question was how Anthony and Kristian Campbell would fit onto the roster. The Anthony portion of that question has been solved.
Despite his age and lack of professional experience so far, Anthony isn't shrinking on the big stage. He's playing at a level where fans and the media would argue that he needs to be on the roster even if everyone were healthy. Instead, Anthony is carving out a role that might be waiting with open arms for him to accept.