Red Sox reportedly ‘very likely’ to activate Roman Anthony ahead of Sunday’s series finale vs. Yankees

It looks like Roman Anthony watch has come to an end.

The Boston Red Sox are ‘very likely’ to activate Anthony and Trevor Story off the injured list ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the New York Yankees in the Bronx, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.

“A source said things were ‘trending’ toward activation,” Cotillo wrote on Saturday, and added, “it appears only a late setback would prevent that from happening.”

After Game 2 of Saturday’s doubleheader, interim manager Chad Tracy didn’t say whether or not the two would be active for Sunday’s contest despite the Saturday night reporting.

Corresponding roster moves were not reported.

Many had hoped, and even expected, at least Anthony to make his return to the big league roster before Friday night’s series opener at Yankee Stadium. However, he and Story had an off day in Worcester and then started in the Triple-A lineup on Saturday.

After Saturday’s game at Polar Park, the Worcester Telegram and Gazette’s Tommy Cassell noted Anthony’s locker had been cleared from the clubhouse and his belongings were being transported out.

Reporters caught up with Anthony postgame and asked him if he was heading to join the Red Sox in New York. Anthony said he wasn’t sure at the time, but a conversation with chief baseball officer Craig Breslow appears to have since moved the timeline along.

“I feel like I’m ready,” Anthony said (via MassLive’s Katie Morrison-O’Day. “I’ve felt somewhat ready since the first game in Portland (on Aug. 18).”

Anthony added he was anxious to rejoin the club and play for the first time since injuring his wrist on May 4.

“I’m excited to get back,” he said (via Cassell). I’m excited to just get back to the normalcy of seeing the guys and being around the boys and for it to be a different environment, for sure.”

Anthony performed above expectations in his eight-game rehab assignment between the Double-A Portland SeaDogs and Worcester. He slashed .280/.367/.600 with a .967 OPS and two home runs. The 22-year-old slugger also doubled twice and drove in seven runs across 25 at-bats.

It’s been a long road to this moment for Anthony since that fateful at-bat in Detroit against the Tigers in early May. He experienced a major setback later that month after hoping to return to the diamond fairly quickly. The left-handed hitter seemingly experienced a tortoise-paced recovery, which prevented him from swinging a bat in June and July.

Anthony finally began swinging off a tee earlier this month and began his rehab stint shortly thereafter. It looks like he’ll be playing in a meaningful game for Boston all in the same month.

Not only does it appear Anthony is headed to Boston — so is Story.

The shortstop is also “expected” to be activated from the I.L., according to Cotillo.

Story, 33, underwent sports hernia surgery in mid-May, not long after Anthony was sidelined.

Unfortunately for Story, his 2026 offensive woes seemed to have carried over into his rehab assignment. In 10 games for the WooSox, he slashed .171/.189/.200 with a .389 OPS with six total hits.

Those numbers make it easy to forget the positive impact Story has had in a Red Sox uniform when healthy, albeit he has struggled to stay on the field since signing with the club in 2022. For example, he was one of the few bright spots in last season’s wild-card series loss to the Yankees — he went 3-for-8 at the plate with one home run and three RBI.

In the present, the Red Sox will look to clinch the season series against the Yankees with a win on Sunday. A victory would give Boston home-field advantage in a potential playoff series against New York in a few short weeks.

Anthony’s presence, and perhaps Story’s, could help give the Red Sox the push they need to secure games at Fenway Park in the postseason.

Kaley Brown

Sports producer

Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.