Boston Red Sox fans saw the 2026 season flash before their eyes Friday afternoon, when MLB’s former No. 1 prospect Roman Anthony collided in the outfield with center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela as both chased down a fly ball.
Later, speaking to MLB.com Red Sox correspondent Ian Browne, Anthony said that he simply had the “wind knocked out of him.” Browns said that Anthony “appears no worse for the wear” after the frightening collision.
Alex Speier of the Boston Globe also spoke to Anthony, and reported that the young Boston star “felt fine.”
“Anthony said heâs fine – the collision with Rafaela knocked the wind out of him a bit, and he banged his left forearm off Rafaela in a way that was sort of surprising,” Speier wrote on the social media app BlueSky. “But he felt fine and knew heâd be OK to stay in the game.”
The play came with one out in the bottom of the first inning in a spring training game against the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park in North Port, Florida.
On an 89 mph cutter from Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello, with Ronald Acuña Jr. on third base, Braves designated hitter Jurickson Profar sent what appeared to be a routine fly ball to left-center field. Rafaela, winner of the 2025 American League Gold Glove in center field, appeared to call for the ball and wave Anthony away.
But coming from left field, Anthony apparently did not hear or see his center fielder, and the two Red Sox players collided violently. Anthony managed to hang on to the ball, which went as a sacrifice fly for Profar.
The 21-year-old Anthony, who has already been named the Red Sox leadoff hitter by manager Alex Cora and who is expected to be the most productive player in the Boston offense, remained face down on the outfield grass for about a minute â but it must have seemed much longer to Anthony’s teammates and Red Sox fans.
Was Anthony Injured in the Collision?
The good news for the Red Sox and their fans is that Anthony, though clearly shaken up and appearing to favor his right arm, recovered to stay in the game, as did Rafaela.
In fact, in the top of the third inning with one out, the lefty-swinging Anthony took his turn at the plate and with a 1-1 count, singled sharply to center field off Braves left-handed starter Chris Sale â winner of the 2024 National League Cy Young Award.
Rafaela was the next batter, also uninjured enough to take his turn at the plate. Also with a 1-1 count from Sale, Rafaela jumped on an 86 mph changeup from the 36-year-old, nine-time All-Star and drove it over the center field wall.
The home run scored Anthony and gave the Red Sox what at the time was a 3-2 lead in the game. But the score of the Grapefruit League contest was of far less interest to the Red Sox than the fact that Anthony and Rafaela â both counted on to play key roles for Boston in the upcoming season â appeared uninjured by the scary collision two innings earlier.
Red Sox Fans React To Scary Outfield Collision
Red Sox fans, as would be expected, were beside themselves after what looked like it could have been a serious injury to Anthony â which would cast the 2026 Red Sox season in a new and much darker light if it had happened.
By the bottom of the fourth, the Braves had exploded for 14 runs, but Red Sox podcaster Tyler Milliken wrote, “The Braves can score a thousand runs. As long as Roman Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela are healthy, I donât give a damn.”
“Can the Red Sox put both Roman Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela in bubble wrap for the rest of Spring Training?” wrote one fan online.
“…not good… not good…” wrote another.
“ROMAN ANTHONY PLEASE BE OKAY PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE,” a third added.
“I forbid Roman Anthony from playing any more baseball until Opening Day,” wrote Red Sox podcaster and media personality Jared Carrabis. “This is non-negotiable effective immediately.”
“I need Roman Anthony to chill out. I wonât be able to handle another injury. Especially one before the season even starts,” wrote a fan using the handle Roman Anthony Aura Farmhand on X (formerly Twitter). The fan was referring to the left oblique muscle strain suffered by Anthony on September 2 of last year, and ended the then-rookie’s stellar debut season a month early.
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