Boston Red Sox fans know how electric outfielder Roman Anthony already is at age 21. Now, it appears he'll get his chance to show a global audience.
Earlier this week, Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll suffered a broken hamate bone on a swing during live at-bats at his team's spring training complex. He hopes to be ready for the start of the regular season, but he had to withdraw completely from the Team USA roster ahead of next month's World Baseball Classic.
Team USA hardly had time to waste in finding a replacement, and Anthony was quickly identified by MLB Network insider Jon Morosi as one of the top candidates. Red Sox manager Alex Cora also told The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey on Thursday that he would support Anthony if he chose to play.
On Friday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe was the first to report that Anthony had accepted Team USA's invite to play in the WBC, pending his routine spring training physical that was expected to be completed Saturday.
“So if it all goes well, the goal for me is to play,” Anthony told Healey. “It’d be an honor, for sure. It was something I’m super excited about, and when I got news of it, obviously super sad for (Carroll). You don’t want to see that ever. But it would be a great opportunity and a great learning lesson for me, to go be around a bunch of the best players in the game.”
Though Anthony ended the season on the injured list while nursing a strained oblique, he has long been cleared to participate in all baseball activities.
Anthony will join American League Most Valuable Player and Team USA captain Aaron Judge in the outfield for Team USA. He will likely see any playing time in left field, with Minnesota Twins All-Star Byron Buxton and Chicago Cubs speedster Pete Crow-Armstrong both in the mix for center field. Both Buxton and Crow-Armstrong could theoretically play any of the three outfield spots.
Red Sox fans can also look forward to seeing Jarren Duran suit up for Team Mexico, Ceddanne Rafaela play for the Netherlands, Wilyer Abreu roam the outfield for Team Venezuela, Brayan Bello on the mound for the Dominican Republic, Masataka Yoshida taking at-bats for Team Japan, and Garrett Whitlock working out of the Team USA bullpen.
Greg Weissert (Team Italy), Nate Eaton (Team Great Britain), and Jovani Morán (Team Puerto Rico) are on rosters as well. First baseman Willson Contreras wants to play for Team Venezuela, but still doesn't know if insurance will allow him to participate.