Roman Anthony and Trevor Story activated from IL by Red Sox

The Red Sox activated Roman Anthony and Trevor Story from the injured list ahead of Sunday's series finale against the Yankees, the club announced.

The moves give Boston two more bodies for the stretch run, with the club sitting in the second Wild Card spot and a month to play. Anthony returns to a roster that has won three straight and faces Will Warren on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

What happened

Boston made the roster moves official before Sunday's game in New York. The club announced both activations, clearing Anthony and Story to rejoin the active roster for the final game of the series.

The timing lands both players back in uniform as the calendar turns toward September, when rosters expand from 26 to 28 players. The Red Sox will carry the larger group starting Monday, when they open a series against Seattle at Fenway Park.

Why it matters

The Red Sox are chasing a postseason berth from the second Wild Card spot in the American League, and every available player matters in the final month. Boston enters Sunday with a 78-65 record, third in the AL East and 7.5 games behind the division leader. The club holds the second Wild Card position with room to spare, but the schedule ahead includes three games against Seattle and a gauntlet of division opponents down the stretch.

Anthony's return adds a young outfielder to the mix as the club evaluates its roster for both September and beyond. Story's activation restores an infielder who has been a fixture in the lineup when healthy, though his availability had been in question until the club made the move official.

The Red Sox have won three consecutive games heading into Sunday's finale, and the activations give the club more flexibility as it sets lineups for the final stretch of the regular season.

Where the club stands

Boston is 78-65, good for a .545 winning percentage and third place in the AL East. The division lead is 7.5 games away, but the Wild Card picture is more forgiving: the Red Sox rank second among Wild Card contenders. The three-game winning streak has steadied the club after a stretch of inconsistency earlier in August.

The schedule ahead is dense. Sunday's game at Yankee Stadium features Ranger Suarez on the mound for Boston against Warren for New York. The Red Sox then return to Fenway Park for a three-game set against Seattle, with Payton Tolle scheduled to pitch Monday opposite George Kirby and Jedixson Paez slated for Tuesday against Bryan Woo.

September 1 marks the roster expansion, when the active limit rises from 26 to 28 players. The Red Sox will have two additional spots to work with for the final month, and the timing of these activations suggests the club is positioning itself to carry both Anthony and Story through the stretch run without needing to make corresponding moves once the calendar flips.

What we don't know yet

The club did not specify corresponding roster moves to clear space for Anthony and Story on the 26-man roster. With the active limit still at 26 through Sunday, Boston would have needed to option, designate, or place two players on the injured list to accommodate the activations. Those moves were not detailed in the announcement.

The length of time each player spent on the injured list was not disclosed, nor were the injuries that led to their placements. The club's announcement focused on the activations themselves, leaving the specifics of their absences and the roster mechanics behind the moves unaddressed.

It is also unclear what roles Anthony and Story will fill immediately. The Red Sox have not announced Sunday's lineup, and the club has not said whether either player is in the series finale or will ease back into action over the next few days.

What to watch

Sunday's game at Yankee Stadium will reveal how quickly the Red Sox deploy Anthony and Story. The lineup card will show whether either player is in the starting nine, and the game itself will offer the first look at how both fit into the club's plans for the final month.

The Seattle series beginning Monday will be another test. The Mariners bring George Kirby and Bryan Woo to Fenway Park, and the Red Sox will need to navigate a three-game set against a club that has been competitive in the AL West. How Boston uses its expanded roster options, and where Anthony and Story slot in, will shape the week ahead.

The Wild Card race remains the backdrop. Boston's cushion is substantial but not insurmountable, and the final weeks will determine whether the Red Sox play in October. The activations give the club two more options as it tries to hold off the teams behind it and, perhaps, close the gap in the division. The margin for error is narrower than the standings suggest, and every roster move from here forward carries weight.

The Red Sox have navigated the August schedule with enough success to keep their postseason hopes alive. The return of Anthony and Story adds depth at a time when depth matters most. Whether that translates to wins in September depends on health, performance, and the breaks that define every pennant race. For now, Boston has two more players in uniform and a series finale to finish before the calendar turns and the roster expands. The stretch run is here, and the Red Sox are loading up for it.