NEW YORK (AP) — Roman Anthony was removed from Boston's roster before the Red Sox were eliminated by the New York Yankees in their AL Wild Card Series after sustaining a new hand injury during the opener.
It is not yet clear whether he will need surgery. Anthony was sidelined from early May to late August with an injury to the same hand.
“We did everything we could to be back this year and play, which we did,” Anthony said Wednesday in the tunnel outside the Red Sox clubhouse at Yankee Stadium before Boston's 9-2 loss gave New York a two-game sweep. "Going forward, we haven’t really even talked about it today."
Batting leadoff as Boston's designated hitter in his playoff debut Tuesday night, Anthony struck out in both of his at-bats against Cam Schlittler, then was removed for a pinch hitter with the Red Sox trailing by two runs in the sixth inning of a 9-0 loss.
Boston manager Chad Tracy said Anthony felt discomfort in his right hand after a couple of checked swings.
“After I came back, the hand was never really fully 100%," Anthony said. "For me it was to a point where it was tolerable and I was taking certain swings that were sketchy and I was still able to come back and recover enough to just be in there every single day. But ultimately I just took a few swings here recently where that wasn’t the case.”
The team sent Anthony to Boston in a car after the game. He arrived about 3 a.m. and had new MRIs on Wednesday morning.
“Additional damage to some muscles in his wrist that weren’t there before,” Tracy said.
The 22-year-old Anthony returned to Massachusetts because the medical staff there was familiar with his injury from earlier this season.
“My thoughts are kind of all over the place,” he said. “Feelings and emotions of, you work all this year to put yourself in a position to just be good enough to go in the playoffs and for this to happen, it just doesn’t feel real.”
Anthony wasn't sure whether the injury is something he'll have to manage going forward.
“Given the point where we were at this year and all the different things that I tried and the different shots that I took and the routes that I went, I think — never really rested a ton, right? — so I don’t necessarily know the answer to that,” he said. “Once we saw it today, it was more so about like, all right, this is what it is. You can’t go. It’s not in the team’s best interest for you to play tonight. So get back there. Root your guys on and be a good teammate. And then once, like I said, once we get past the series, it’ll be one of those things where we reassess regardless of what happens and kind of go from there.”
Anthony missed 101 games from May 5 to Aug. 29 with the earlier injury to his hand.
“There’s been periods of time since he’s come back where he’ll get a zinger and feel something. And then it dissipates and we’re good to go,” Tracy said. “That’s not been an uncommon occurrence since he’s come back. But yesterday, as you went through those two at-bats, it got worse.”
The club announced Anthony was diagnosed with a right hand strain, and Major League Baseball approved a Red Sox roster substitution. Anthony was replaced on the Wild Card Series roster by infielder Curtis Mead, obtained from Washington in late July for pitcher Connelly Early.
“I’ve been experiencing some things with the swings and the check-swings over the past six weeks. Last night just felt a little bit more intense, a little bit more worse than past swings that have been lingering a little bit longer than the ones I was used to,” Anthony said.
“It was just super alarming and it got to a point where it was tough to grip a bat. I knew then and there that this was a little bit more similar to the one earlier in the year. That’s why we decided to go get imaging."
Mead got hit by a pitch in his first game with the Red Sox at the Athletics on July 27 and was placed on the injured list with a broken left wrist. He hasn't played in the big leagues since.
One of baseball’s premier prospects when he debuted in the majors last year, Anthony batted .245 with five home runs, 15 RBIs and a .735 OPS in 55 games this season.
“Hopefully he’s going to be healthy for next year,” Abreu said. “It’s a big loss for us, but we still have to play the game and try to win the game today.”
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Boston Red Sox designated hitter Roman Anthony greets teammates prior to Game 1 of baseball's American League Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Tennessee Titans went from winless to party time in a jiffy Sunday.
And why not?
The defense shut down mistake-prone Indianapolis in the second half, the special teams made two game-changing plays in the fourth quarter and Joey Slye made two field goals in the final 2 1/2 minutes to rally the Colts from a 13-0 halftime deficit for their first win of the season, 26-20.
“Now this feels good!” running back Tony Pollard shouted as he left the field as the remaining Indianapolis fans serenaded the home team with a loud chorus of boos.
The victory snapped a six-game losing streak in the series, gave first-year coach Robert Saleh his first win with the franchise and allowed the Titans (1-5) to get out of the winless column in the standings.
The defense forced three turnovers and had six sacks, Chimere Dike's 58-yard punt return early in the fourth quarter set up the tying score and Oluwafemi Oladejo's 14-yard return of a blocked punt gave the Titans their first lead with 10:17 to play. Slye's 49-yard field goal with 2:03 left gave Tennessee the lead for good and he sealed it with a 44-yarder with 43 seconds to go after the Colts turned it over on downs.
To Saleh, the win was more of a relief than a celebration.
“When you watch NFL games and NFL tape, you see the spectacular,” Saleh said. “Was this perfect? No. But today we made some freaking plays. This league is hard.”
Cam Ward was 11 of 22 for 102 yards, with one TD and one interception as Tennessee finished with a season-high scoring total. Pollard rushed 19 times for 76 yards and rookie Carnell Tate had six catches for 70 yards and his first TD reception.
For Indy (2-4), it was another frustrating day.
The Colts dominated the first half with a 232-64 edge in total yards, but only produced three scoring drives, settling twice for field goals, and it proved costly. Daniel Jones was 22 of 42 for 269 yards with one TD and two more interceptions — both costing the Colts scoring chances. Jonathan Taylor ran 21 times for 94 yards and one TD while catching two passes for 57 yards.
“We've got a lot to fix, and we've got to fix it in a hurry,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “Turnovers continue to be an issue, we've got to handle that better. We can't give up blocked punts, we can't give up a kick return.”
Tennessee's rally began when Jeffery Simmons forced a Taylor fumble on the first play of the second half. That set up Slye's 29-yard field goal to make it 13-3. He added a 56-yarder with 3:21 left in the third to make it 13-6.
That's when the Titans special teams went to work.
Ward took advantage of the long punt return by connecting with Tate for an 8-yard score to tie it. Then after forcing a punt on Indy's next possession, James Williams Sr. broke free and blocked Rigoberto Sanchez's punt, which Oladejo scooped up and scored on for 20-13 lead.
Indy tied the score on Taylor's 4-yard run, but a 36-yard pass interference penalty on cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt helped the Titans move into position for Slye's go-ahead kick.
Jones got one last chance, but he couldn't connect on either desperation heave in the waning seconds.
Titans: Safety Amani Hooker returned from a concussion and made an acrobatic interception to end Indy's first scoring chance. Safety Tony Adams and cornerback Marcus Harris left in the first half but each finished the game.
Colts: Punter Rigoberto Sanchez injured his foot on the blocked punt, All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner suffered a calf injury and kickoff returner Anthony Gould (concussion protocol) did not return. TE Tyler Warren was inactive after injuring his groin at the start of practice Friday.
Titans: Simmons had two sacks, giving him 46 1/2 during his career with Tennessee. He passed Ted Washington for 10th in franchise history and ranks fourth in the Titans era (1999-present).
Colts: WR Keenan Allen had his best game of the season, catching eight passes for 82 yards while moving past Anquan Boldin (1,076) and Terrell Owens (1,078) on the NFL's career receptions list. He's now ninth with 1,081 catches over his 14-year career. Taylor scored his 83rd career TD, surpassing receivers coach Reggie Wayne for the third-most total TDs in Colts history and topped the 8,000-yard mark.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Adam Vinatieri was honored at halftime Sunday when the team inducted him as the 21st member of its Ring of Honor. Vinatieri won four Super Bowl rings — three with New England and one with Indy — and finished his career as the league’s career leader in scoring with 2,673 points.
Titans: Head home to face Cleveland next Sunday.
Colts: Begin a two-game road trip next Sunday at Minnesota.
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
Indianapolis Colts former place-kicker Adam Vinatieri's name is displayed on the team's Ring of Honor during halftime of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Indianapolis Colts safety Cam Bynum (0) returns an interception past Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate (14) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Tennessee Titans linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (53) and safety Tony Adams (29) celebrate a fourth down defensive stop during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) throws a pass as he is pressured by Tennessee Titans defensive end John Franklin-Myers (91) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward, left, celebrates the team's wins with defensive tackle Solomon Thomas (90) after an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
