BOSTON — If you bought a No. 48 Roman Anthony jersey after the Boston Red Sox prospect’s MLB debut, you may want to find your receipt.
Anthony confirmed to Tokyo Sports Press’ Carlos Yamazaki on Tuesday that he will switch from No. 48 to No. 19.
“I wore (48) in spring, and wore 19 last year in Triple-A,” he told Yamazaki. “And then credit to Tom and those guys, called me this morning and ‘Hey, we’re gonna be able to get you 19.’ So I was super thankful for that.”
Left-hander Sean Newcomb wore No. 19 with Boston before being traded to the A’s on May 27. Other noteworthy players in Red Sox history to wear No. 19 include Jackie Bradley Jr., Koji Uehara, Josh Beckett, Gabe Kapler, and Fred Lynn.
Anthony, the No. 1 prospect in MLB, was promoted roughly three hours before Monday’s series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. The 21-year-old outfielder drove from Worcester to Boston and batted fifth in the Red Sox lineup, replacing the injured Wilyer Abreu in right field.
Donning No. 48, Anthony went 0-for-4 with an RBI, a walk, and a strikeout in his big-league debut. Primarily a left fielder in the minors, he committed a costly error in the fifth inning on a Yandy Diaz single that rolled past him in right field. The miscue allowed Brandon Lowe to score from first base and Diaz to get to third.
The Rays went on to win in 11 innings, 10-8. Anthony will hope for better results with his new number, including his first MLB hit, as the Red Sox aim to even the series.
First pitch for Tuesday’s game against Tampa Bay at Fenway Park is set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
