Key keywords: Roman Anthony, Boston Red Sox, top MLB prospect, shut down from swinging, upper body injury, minor league outfielder, 2022 MLB Draft, Portland Sea Dogs, Red Sox farm system, preventive injury management The Boston Red Sox announced Wednesday that top outfield prospect Roman Anthony has been shut down from all swinging-related activities indefinitely as a precautionary measure related to a minor upper-body injury sustained during a recent Double-A Portland Sea Dogs game. Regarded as the No. 2 prospect in the Red Sox farm system and a consensus top 50 prospect across all of Major League Baseball, the 21-year-old Anthony was selected by the Red Sox with the 79th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, and has rapidly climbed the minor league ranks over the past two seasons thanks to his elite power, polished plate discipline, and solid defensive play in center and right field. Through 76 games split between High-A Greenville Drive and Double-A Portland this season, Anthony has posted a .272/.372/.481 slash line, with 11 home runs, 47 runs batted in, 12 stolen bases, and a 13.2% walk rate that ranks among the best for hitters his age at the Double-A level. Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham told reporters that Anthony reported mild discomfort in his non-throwing wrist after a swing in Sunday’s game against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, and follow-up imaging showed no structural damage, but the organization made the decision to pause all swinging activity to avoid exacerbating the issue. “Roman is a huge part of our future, and rushing him back from even a minor injury right now doesn’t make sense for his long-term development,” Abraham said. “He’ll continue participating in defensive drills, baserunning work, and light upper-body strength training for the next two weeks, at which point our medical staff will re-evaluate his progress and clear him to resume swinging if he’s symptom-free.” Abraham added that there is currently no timeline for Anthony’s return to game action, but the organization remains optimistic that he will be able to return to the Portland lineup before the end of the minor league regular season in early September. The news comes as a mild blow to Red Sox fans who have been eager to see Anthony earn a spot in the team’s 2025 major league spring training roster, but most have praised the organization’s cautious approach to managing the young star’s injury. Prior to the shutdown, Anthony was on track to earn a promotion to Triple-A Worcester before the end of the 2024 season, a timeline that Abraham says will not be significantly impacted as long as he recovers as expected over the next month.