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Red Sox star Roman Anthony will play for Team USA in World Baseball Classic (if he passes physical)
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- Red Sox star Roman Anthony will play for Team USA in World Baseball Classic (if he passes physical)
FORT MYERS, Fla. — In a last-minute twist, the Red Sox ’ top young superstar is expected to take the world stage next month after all.
If outfielder Roman Anthony passes his intake physical Saturday at Fenway South, he is expected to be added to Team USA’s roster for the World Baseball Classic next month, a source confirmed Friday. The Red Sox will get definitive word Saturday depending on the results of that exam.
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Anthony would be an injury replacement for Arizona ’s Corbin Carroll , who suffered a broken hamate bone at Diamondbacks camp earlier this week. The Boston Globe’s Tim Healey first reported the news following a report from MLB.com’s Jon Morosi that Anthony was one of many candidates Team USA was considering to replace Carroll.
“For the WBC, I know more about Team Puerto Rico so I’m not sure about Team USA,” manager Alex Cora said Thursday. “I read about four or five guys that are in the mix and he’s in the mix. We’ll see what happens.”
It’s now clear the 21-year-old Anthony was manager Mark DeRosa’s top choice. With the American team, Anthony will play alongside reliever Garrett Whitlock , who was an early pick for the team’s bullpen. There are now 12 members of Boston ’s 40-man roster who are expected to play in the tournament, which starts March 5. Outfielders Wilyer Abreu (Venezuela), Jarren Duran (Mexico), Nate Eaton (Great Britan), Ceddanne Rafaela (Netherlands) and Masataka Yoshida (Japan) are on WBC rosters as well as first baseman Willson Contreras (Venezuela), starters Brayan Bello (Dominican Republic), Ranger Suárez (Venezuela), relievers Jovani Morán (Puerto Rico), Greg Weissert (Italy) and Whitlock (USA).
The Red Sox could be without Anthony for a few weeks in camp. Team USA’s first game is set for March 6 in Houston . The WBC championship game will be held March 17 in Miami .
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“It’s what we decide we want to do,” Cora said. “If the guys are healthy and they’re willing to play, we’re good with it. They’re going to be playing baseball here and it (injuries) can happen ... Hopefully, whoever goes, they stay healthy and they come back.”
Anthony, who played the last game of his rookie season on September 2 and missed the final month of the season (as well as Boston’s brief playoff run) due to an oblique strain , was originally thought to be out of the mix for the World Baseball Classic so he could spend the entirety of spring training with the Red Sox. There were also rumors he could suit up for Team Italy.
“I would say that’s out of play,” Anthony said last month when asked about playing in the WBC. “There’s a lot of noise that I’ve heard, but for me, the goal after this year was, ‘Hey, I ended on an injury. I don’t want to rush into something.’ I think this was on both ends, not just my side. This is gonna be the first full year of a big league season. It’s important we take advantage of spring and this offseason going into spring training.”
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