The Boston Red Sox have had a tough start to the campaign, with the team performing below expectations while missing some key players from their roster. As a result, they are having to rely on their young prospects to turn the course of their season.
Red Sox May Move Jarren Duran Back to CF With Roman Anthony Taking His Role at LF
On Monday, the Red Sox called up the No. 1 overall prospect, Roman Anthony, to their major league roster for the first time. Wilyer Abreu had been moved to the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain, opening up the spot for the young outfielder.
Abreu had won a Gold Glove as the right fielder for the Red Sox last year, and he has become an integral part of their lineup as well this year. Meanwhile, Rob Refsnyder has been platooning in the position against left-handed starting pitching.
However, the injury to Abreu and the subsequent call-up for Anthony might result in a change in their outfield alignment. They had altered outfield roles before the start of the season while being forced to change their infield due to injuries.
Jarren Duran was moved to left field this year, with Ceddanne Rafaela taking up his role as the starting center fielder. Duran remains a key component of their lineup as their leadoff hitter, while Rafaela has been outstanding in his role defensively.
According to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, the Red Sox will deploy Anthony as a direct replacement for Abreu at right field. However, Duran could go back to center field with Rafaela shifting over to the right if they move the rookie to left field.
“With Abreu on the IL, Anthony takes over in right for now. Ceddanne Rafaela could play some right field in future games, but has played only one big-league game at the position. Jarren Duran, who was a Gold Glove finalist in center last season before playing left most of this year, could move back to center if Anthony takes over a majority of the reps in left,” McCaffrey wrote.
Jarren Duran is expected to be moved back to CF with Roman Anthony taking the majority of playing time in LF.
— Boston Strong (@BostonStrong_34) June 9, 2025
Anthony made his MLB debut in the 10-8 extra innings loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on Monday. He started in the right field and went 0-4 but recorded his first RBI on a fielder’s choice in the ninth to make up for a fielding error earlier in the game.
Accommodating the 21-year-old left-hander in their lineup will be a challenge for the Red Sox going forward. It remains to be seen how long they will keep him in his current defensive role before shifting him to the left side of the outfield.
The Red Sox certainly need Anthony to make an instant impact on their lineup to salvage their campaign. He had a .288/.423/.491 slash line with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs in 52 games for Triple-A Worcester prior to getting promoted to the major league roster.
Following their loss to the Rays on Monday, the Red Sox have a 32-36 record for the season. They have been sitting in fourth spot in the American League West for the past couple of weeks and presently lie 4.5 games behind in the wild card race.