Roman Anthony is heading to the Injured List. The Red Sox star rookie is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with an oblique strain, Boston manager Alex Cora revealed Wednesday during an interview on WEEI.

"It's a moderate one, so usually it takes from four-to-six weeks," said Cora.

Anthony had to leave Tuesday night's win over the Cleveland Guardians at Fenway Park with left oblique muscle tightness. He had an MRI on Wednesday morning, and Anthony is now on the shelf for the most important part of Boston's season.

"It sucks. I wish I could play," a dejected Anthony said in the Boston clubhouse Wednesday. "That's all I really care about. It sucks."

Anthony said he still didn't feel great on Wednesday, and didn't want to put a timetable -- realistic or unrealistic -- on his return.

But with the 4-6 week window, the absolute earliest Anthony will return would be Oct. 1, which would be Game 2 of the AL Wild Card series. If his recovery is on the longer end, Anthony would be looking at a return around Oct. 15, which would be in the middle of the ALCS -- if the Red Sox make it that far.

"It's a pretty good strain, so don't know a timetable or know too much. Just show up every day and do everything I can, trust our training staff and the people around me to get out there as soon as I can," said Anthony. "I'm going to do all I can every day to get back out there this season o help this team any way possible."

Roman Anthony's injury

Anthony was hurt in the bottom of the fourth inning Tuesday night. He said he initially felt it on a check swing, and then really felt something bite after he struck out on a curveball. He held his back as he walked to the Boston dugout, and then immediately left for the clubhouse.

Oblique injuries aren't easy to come back from, and usually require a few weeks of rest before a player can even pick up a bat again. Anthony has never dealt with an oblique injury before, said he has full faith in the Red Sox training staff to get him back as soon as he possibly can.

"As far as I know with the oblique, you have to give it a little bit of time at first, and then from there it's slowly try to build it back up," said Anthony. "I will do everything I can to speed this process up, but as far as I know the first few days, maybe a week, is laying low and letting it heal before I start moving around. I trust the training staff completely and we've already started little things to try and help it and speed it up."

Anthony's injury comes as the Red Sox are making a big push for the postseason, with Boston currently sitting as the AL's top Wild Card team and just 2.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. 

"Everyone here is on the same page. As a team, we believe we're a World Series-caliber team," said Anthony. We believe it in this clubhouse and we're going to continue to believe it regardless of who we have or don't have. I'm going to continue to support theses guys and do everything I can to be the best teammates I can, and hopefully get back and help this team win a World Series."

Roman Anthony's rookie season

The 21-year-old has been phenomenal for the Red Sox since his June 9 callup and has lived up to being the top prospect in baseball. In his 71 games in the big leagues, Anthony has slashed .292/.396/.463 with an .859 OPS. He's ripped 18 doubles and eight homers for Boston while driving in 32 runs and scoring 48 of his own. He's also shown incredible veteran-like discipline at the plate with 40 walks.

Anthony has mostly hit out of the leadoff spot for Boston, where he's slashed .336/.439/.546 in his 31 games at the top of the order.  He was just named the American League Rookie of the Month Wednesday morning, just a few hours ahead of his trip to the IL.

There will be no replacing Anthony in the Boston lineup, and it doesn't sound like 2024 Gold Glover Wilyer Abreu will be able to fill the void, either. Abreu was slated to return Monday, but Cora said Wednesday the outfielder is not close to getting back in the Boston lineup.