Red Sox place Roman Anthony on injured list with oblique strain

The Boston Red Sox will be without one of their emerging stars for the stretch run.

Manager Alex Cora told reporters that the team is placing Roman Anthony on the injured list with an oblique strain.

Cora did not have a precise timeline for Anthony’s return but expects the injury to keep him sidelined for four to six weeks.

Anthony left Tuesday night’s game after grabbing his back during an at-bat and walking gingerly back to the dugout. The injury occurred in the bottom of the fourth inning and he went straight to the clubhouse after the at-bat.

Anthony missed two games last month with mid-back tightness.

The 21-year-old is batting .292 with eight homers and 32 RBIs since he was called up on June 9.

The Red Sox improved to 78-63 for the season, sitting two-and-a-half games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. If the season ended today, Boston would claim one of the AL’s three wild-card berths.

Third baseman Alex Bregman said losing Anthony for any length of time would be a “gut punch.”

“It’s meaningful games in September, and all that matters is winning. So, I think the guys in here have the right mentality,” Bregman told reporters after the game. “Obviously, today was a bit of a gut punch for us, but everyone in here is mature enough to show up tomorrow, ready to execute and compete. Continue to do that for the rest of the month and into the post-season.”