NEW YORK — With one game left in their season series against the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox are adding reinforcements. Shortstop Trevor Story and outfielder Roman Anthony are on their way to New York for Sunday’s game.
Both players will likely be active Sunday for the first time since May, but interim manager Chad Tracy wouldn’t confirm the corresponding roster moves on Saturday night.
“They’re coming (to New York),” Tracy said. “Not sure what we’re doing yet (roster-wise), and we’ll figure that out. But obviously they went through everything (for medical clearance) and we’ll figure out what we’re going to do there.”
The arrival of Story and Anthony comes as the Red Sox have been scuffling offensively. After a promising 6-0 win in the first game of a doubleheader against the Yankees on Saturday, the offense fell flat again with a 9-2 loss in the nightcap.
“It was a long day,” Tracy said. “Obviously you guys know how tough it is to win games in the big leagues when you play doubleheaders. Oftentimes, they end in splits. You’re able to grab one. You have an opportunity to come out here tomorrow and split a series in Yankee Stadium. We have to be ready to do that.”
The loss moved the Red Sox (74-62) three games back of New York (77-59) for the top wild-card spot. A win on Sunday would give the Red Sox a win in the season series and home-field advantage in the wild-card round if they finish with the same record as New York.
As for Story and Anthony, they will be thrust into a playoff chase with high expectations to perform after months on the injury list, all while hoping to not mess with the rhythm the team found in their absence.
Story, 33, has been out since May 16, when he landed on the IL with a sports hernia then had surgery a week later. In 41 games to start the year, Story hit just .206 with a .547 OPS, later revealing the injury had limited him on both sides of the ball.
Anthony, 22, has been out since May 4, when he tore a ligament in his right ring finger on a check swing and was placed on the IL on May 7. Before the injury, Anthony hit .229 with a .675 OPS in 30 games.
Anthony went 7-for-25 with two homers and two doubles in eight rehab games, while Story went 6-for-35 with five singles and a double in 10 rehab games.
“I think it’s really important for us to get those guys back,” Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras said. “We need them. It’s also important to recognize the job or the work that the whole lineup has been putting in for the last three months. I think those are tough decisions to make. I don’t know what’s going to happen (Sunday), but we do have to recognize the job that the guys are doing for this team, and we couldn’t have done what we’ve done without them.”
Roman Anthony hasn’t played in a major-league game since May 4. (Joe Puetz / Getty Images)
The return of Story and Anthony is expected to impact the playing time of infielders Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler, and designated hitter Mickey Gasper. As of late Saturday, there was no word on which players had been optioned to Triple-A Worcester to make room for Story and Anthony. Nevertheless, the players who filled in during their absences all contributed at various points to Boston’s summer resurgence in the standings.
The hope is that Story and Anthony will give the team a boost down the stretch.
After the strong in the first game Saturday, Boston’s offense only managed a Nick Sogard solo homer and a Contreras RBI triple in the second game. The Red Sox went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. Before the win earlier on Saturday, the Red Sox had left 36 runners on base in their previous four games and had been shut out in consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Brayan Bello struggled in bulk relief for the first time since taking on that role in mid-July when he was recalled from Triple-A. In eight outings over 29 1/3 innings entering Saturday, Bello had allowed four earned runs. He allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Yankees on Saturday.
“Bad,” he said of his outing through a team interpreter. “I think I didn’t give the team the opportunity to win the game tonight.”
The Yankees clobbered reliever Raymond Burgos — the 27th man for the doubleheader — for five runs in the eighth inning, putting the game out of reach.
With plenty of roster moves coming on Sunday, the Red Sox face a key game with playoff implications and just 26 games left in the regular season.
