The Boston Red Sox suffered a major blow last week when Roman Anthony suffered an oblique strain. With Anthony expected to miss four to six weeks, the Red Sox will be without one of their best players for a while.
Not surprisingly, his teammates have struggled without him. Boston is 1-3 with a minus-13 run differential in four games since Anthony went down, matching its longest losing streak since late June (shortly after Rafael Devers was traded).
The Red Sox lineup has struggled mightily without Anthony. In their last four games, they’ve batted just .222 with a .563 OPS — the second-lowest OPS in baseball during that time. Boston’s averaged 3.5 runs per game and is the only team in MLB without a home run since he went down.
With the Red Sox also missing Wilyer Abreu, Marcelo Mayer and Triston Casas, their lineup is especially shorthanded at the moment. They desperately need more from Masataka Yoshida, Alex Bregman and Jarren Duran, all of whom are mired in extended slumps.
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Yoshida is batting just .234/.286/.344 with -0.3 WAR in 38 games this season. Bregman’s OPS has plunged 101 points since he returned from the injured list in July, while Duran is 4-for-22 to start September.
Nate Lowe has provided a boost and Trevor Story has continued to produce, but they need help.
Fortunately, Boston’s offense should get a boost this week against the Athletics, who have allowed the third-most runs per game (5.12) in baseball. They also play in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the Major Leagues, which could help the Red Sox get back on track before their pivotal weekend series against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.
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Featured image via James A. Pittman/Imagn Images
