Roman Anthony injury timeline just gave Red Sox even more motivation to steal AL East
Roman Anthony's meteoric rise to stardom has the Boston Red Sox and their fans loving everything about their future face of the franchise. That's why, with Boston in yet another AL East dog fight, chasing the Toronto Blue Jays and falling behind the nemesis New York Yankees, keeping their eyes on the prize has become all the more important in the September stretch run.
Going at it without Anthony, who will miss 4-6 weeks after going on the IL with an oblique injury, will be tough sledding. But if Boston wants to get to the top of the mountain in October, they need to use the remaining three weeks to put themselves in the best position to make a run.
Anthony's injury return timeline means he won't be available for the Wild Card round, and missing a bat of his caliber for a best-of-three series is a scary proposition.
Passing Yankees and catching Toronto should be Red Sox top September priority
The Red Sox have spent a total of one day in first place in the AL East, by virtue of their Opening Day victory against the Texas Rangers on March 27. A four-game skid would ensue that was followed by a five-game winning streak and then another three straight losses, setting the tone for a season of peaks and valleys.
Left for dead following their June 15 trade of Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, Boston deserves a lot of credit for clawing back and getting into the thick of the race. Anthony's emergence has been a big reason why, and the 21-year-old now seems like a lock to be a franchise cornerstone for a long, long time.
Now that the Red Sox can feel confident in their upcoming postseason inclusion, it's imperative that they have their young star on the field if they are to have any shot at taking home the ultimate glory.
The best way to do that is to win the AL East, which will not be an easy task. With 20 games remaining, Boston currently sits 4.5 games back of the division-leading Blue Jays, with the Yankees standing in between the two clubs. Fortunately, six matchups remain between the Sox and these rivals, giving them the opportunity to turn the tide.
Boston will welcome the Yankees to Fenway next weekend and look to continue their domination of their pinstriped foes, whom they've posted an 8-2 record against to date.
If the Red Sox handle New York and take advantage of matchups against struggling teams like the Athletics and Orioles, they will arrive in Toronto for the second-to-last series of the year and a golden opportunity to take the division crown.
The only problem? Boston is just 3-7 against the Jays on the year. Despite the losing record, the contests have been contentious with Toronto narrowly outscoring the Sox 45-44 in those 10 matchups, so it could easily flip when the next series arrives.
The season finale won't be an easy task either, with Boston taking on the Detroit Tigers in what could be a playoff preview that they'll likely need to win if they are to catch up and hold first place. Whether fans believe it can happen or not, it's all right there for the taking.
Celtics’ Neemias Queta Reveals Support From Joe Mazzulla
Neemias Queta is heading into arguably the most important season of his career. The 7-foot rim-runner is expected to become the Boston Celtics’ starting big man.
Brad Stevens has overseen a talent drain in the front court. Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet all leaving the franchise. As such, Queta has a golden opportunity to prove himself at the NBA level.
Queta has spent the past few weeks in Europe, playing for the Portuguese national team at the FIBA EuroBasket. The big man thrived as a featured member of Portugal’s offense, leading the team to the knockout stages of the tournament.
In six games, Queta averaged 15.5 points, 8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Unfortunately, Germany eliminated Portugal 85-58.
When speaking to EuroHoops’ Cesare Milanti, Queta shared the support head coach Joe Mazzulla has been providing throughout the summer.
“I spoke with him a couple of times; he is always sending me messages of appreciation, or love, or me getting better,” Queta said. “What he sees in me, what I need to improve on, and that’s a great relationship that we have…It (EuroBasket) was a good opportunity for me to evolve my game and get ready for the next season…I got rested enough this offseason, and I think that I put myself in the best position to have a breakout season. I have the tools to compete with the best.”
Queta will face competition for a starting spot from Luka Garza, Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman next season.
Celtics Derrick White’ Shares Thoughts on Queta
During a recent episode of the “White Noise” podcast, Celtics guard Derrick White shared his thoughts on Queta receiving an expanded role.
“I think Joe has always been super hard on him for the last couple of years to prepare him for something like this,” White said. “Obviously, he’s going to have to have a big year, and we’re going to ask a lot out of him, which is exciting… He’s a guy who works hard, competes at a high level, and is just continuing to learn what works and what doesn’t in the NBA.”
White continued.
“We’re super excited for Neemias… I’m a big fan; he’s had so many different moments in these last two years. He’s helped us win games, or he’s changed the momentum of a game. It’s a big role for him.”
Queta played in 62 regular-season games in 2024-25. He averaged 5 points and 3.8 rebounds. However, with a bigger role on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how he scales his production.
Porzingis Backs Queta to Shine For Celtics
Kristaps Porzingis has also thrown his support behind Queta. The two went toe-to-toe at the EuroBasket tournament.
“Neemy has been getting better every year,” Porzingis said. “Coach Mazzulla has been pretty tough on him, and I believe he’s getting to a point where he deserves some real minutes, real rotation minutes. He’s been putting in the work, and you can see it in how he’s playing now in this tournament. I’m happy for Neemy. He’s a great dude, really cool person. He puts in the time, he puts in the work, and I’ll be glad to see him get a lot more minutes this year.”
Still, thriving in Europe is different to thriving in the NBA. Therefore, Queta will still need to prove himself for the Celtics. Fortunately for him, he will get every opportunity to showcase his skill set.
However, Celtics fans should have realistic expectations. Therefore, Queta may need some time to adjust to his new role. Hopefully, once he’s adjusted, he will prove he’s capable of being a starting-level NBA center.
