BOSTON — Red Sox rookie Roman Anthony is not setting a timeline for his return from an oblique strain but vows to work hard to return as soon as possible.

“I don’t want to set any realistic or unrealistic goals,” Anthony said inside the Red Sox clubhouse Wednesday. “I think for me it’s just a matter of showing up every day and doing everything I can in the training room and everything I can: sleeping, diet to make sure I’m physically and mentally in my best shape and just try to get out there as soon as I can.”

Anthony is possibly facing a 4-to-6 week absence. Boston placed on him the 10-day injured list Wednesday and recalled Nick Sogard to take his spot on the active roster.

“Everyone heals differently, so I’m gonna do everything I can every day to try and get back out of there as fast as I can, but it’s impossible to tell,” Anthony said.

He said he thinks it’s a grade 2 strain but neither Anthony or manager Alex Cora could say that with certainty.

“I think they said it was a level 2,” Anthony said. “I could be wrong. They said it was kind of what they expected based on my reaction and how I initially handled it when I came in here.”

Cora said, “I told him to envision ALCS, first at-bat. That’s what I told him. Just put that goal in your mind and hopefully it happens.”

Anthony left Tuesday’s game after his fourth inning at-bat with left oblique tightness. He grabbed at his side and lower left back right above his belt after he struck out swinging for the second out of the fourth inning. He then did not return to play defense in the top of the fifth inning. The injury occured on a check swing earlier in the at-bat.

“It’s a pretty good strain,” he said. “So, again, don’t really know the timetable. Don’t really know much other than (to) show up every day, do everything I can and trust our training staff and trust the people around me and do everything I can to get out there as soon as I can.”

He said he’s very hopeful “as soon” as possible means this season.

“I’m going to do all I can every day to try and get back out there this season and help this team any way possible,” Anthony said. “But for now, we’re gonna do everything I can to just cheer the guys on and be a good teammate.”

When asked how he feels today, Anthony was straightforward: “Not great.”

“Not much different than I did yesterday,” Anthony said. “So not feeling great.”

Anthony has never dealt with an oblique injury.

“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 kind of build it back up,” Anthony said. “Obviously for me and wanting to get out there and help this team as soon as I can, I’m going to do everything I can to speed this process up. But as far as I know, at least the first few days, maybe a week, it’s pretty much just laying low and then kind of letting it heal as much as I can before we start moving around.”

The 21-year-old leadoff hitter has been one of Boston’s most productive offensive players since the Red Sox promoted him from Triple-A Worcester on June 9. He’s batting .292 with a .396 on-base percentage, .463 slugging percentage, .859 OPS, eight home runs, 18 doubles, one triple, 32 RBIs and 48 runs in 71 games.

“It sucks,” Anthony said. “I wish I could play. That’s all I really care about. So it sucks.”

He said the pain he felt this morning was a combination of physical and emotional.

“Obviously I didn’t know when I woke up because I had to get an MRI this morning,” Anthony said. “And I was just trying to stay as positive as I can and hope for the best. It’s all sorts of pain when you hear that you can’t play for a certain period of time. And for me, that’s what I live for. That’s what I like showing up here for every day is to help this team and help the city and try to get into the playoffs and win a World Series. And when I’m not in the lineup, it’s a bad day for me.”

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