What happened to Roman Anthony? Why Red Sox waited to place star OF on IL

The Boston Red Sox have had a bit of a rough season, firing Alex Cora and dealing with a ton of injuries to key players on their roster.

And now, Roman Anthony is hitting the injured list. He lands on the 10-day IL and will now miss some time. But he's already missed a few games, so why didn't the Red Sox place him on the IL before?

Well, as Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports, the Red Sox can place Anthony on the IL retroactive to a certain date to make his wait on the IL not as long as the 10-day IL suggests he will be out for.

Why Red Sox waited to place Roman Anthony on IL

"Anthony's IL stint shouldn't be long, and the Red Sox can backdate it to Tuesday, putting a potential return a week from now in Atlanta, if he's ready," Cotillo reports. "Hard to play a man short for 5-6 days."

This report from Cotillo makes it clear why the Red Sox didn't place Anthony on the IL on Tuesday, when he first looked likely to miss some time.

Boston took the chance that they could get Anthony back sooner rather than later, but now, with his injury, a wrist issue following an awkward swing, he will miss a bit more time than they were hoping for.

MORE: Roman Anthony might’ve been overhyped for Red Sox

By backdating this IL placement to Tuesday, Anthony's 10-day IL stint could mean he can return 10 days from the date listed.

In this instance, Anthony could return as early as Friday of next week against the Atlanta Braves, as it will be 10 days from Tuesday, when the Red Sox can backdate this IL placement.

So, while the Red Sox waited to place Anthony on the 10-day IL, they aren't going to miss Anthony for more than the 10 days from when he first was out.

Cotillo's report makes it seem as if Anthony won't be out for long, meaning he could miss just a week from today and be back for the Braves series in Atlanta next weekend.

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