Roman Anthony To Make Debut At New Position With Masataka Yoshida Active

The Boston Red Sox have had some legendary left fielders throughout the team’s long and storied history. Hall of Famers like Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice have all manned the position over the years, and now rookie slugger Roman Anthony is ready to add his name to that impressive list.

The news of Anthony potentially playing left field was first reported earlier this week when he was seen learning the various quirks of the Green Monster during pregame warmups. It became a reality Wednesday when Red Sox manager Alex Cora released his lineup card featuring Wilyer Abreu in right field, Jarren Duran in center, Masataka Yoshida at designated hitter and Anthony starting in left.

While Anthony has mostly shuffled between right field and designated hitter since he was called up in June, he’s also spent a little time in center field. With Ceddanne Rafaela taking a seat for Wednesday’s series finale against the Colorado Rockies, the top prospect will slide into unfamiliar territory when he takes the field.

Following a slow adjustment to MLB pitching, Anthony has been one of the Red Sox’s hottest hitters lately. He’s currently batting .253 with two home runs and 12 RBI. The 21-year-old has notched multiple hits in three of his last five games, including a three-hit performance in Boston’s 10-2 victory over the Rockies on Tuesday.

The Red Sox will play one more game against the Rockies on Wednesday. Lucas Giolito (5-1) will oppose Antonio Senzatela (3-12) to wrap up the three-game series.