Masataka Yoshida likely to begin season on IL for Red Sox
Masataka Yoshida is swinging a hot bat for the Boston Red Sox this spring. But he's yet to play in the outfield during the exhibition season and will likely begin the 2025 season on the IL, Boston manager Alex Cora announced Tuesday.
Yoshida has been tearing it up at the plate, hitting .321 while slugging .464 over his nine games this spring. He continued to be a Yankee killer on Tuesday afternoon, smacking a two-run homer -- his first of the spring -- as the two teams played to a 4-4 tie.
But Yoshida isn't ready to play the outfield yet as he continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgery. He's only been throwing from 100 feet this spring, and will need more time before he takes the field for Boston.
The door is now open for the 31-year-old to start the season on the Injured List. It works out well for the Red Sox, since the DH spot in the lineup is all but certain to go to Rafael Devers. He has yet to play a third base this spring as he also recovers from shoulder surgery, with newcomer Alex Bregman entrenched at third base.
DH at-bats are going to be hard to come by this season for the Red Sox, which Cora acknowledged Tuesday. Until Yoshida is ready to play the outfield, Cora would have a difficult time fitting him into the lineup on a regular basis.
The Red Sox do not yet have a timeframe for when that will become an option.
"We have to be patient with that," the Boston manager said Tuesday.
This will be Yoshida's third with the Red Sox, after the Japanese star signed a five-year, $90 million with the team ahead of the 2023 season. He was Boston's left fielder for 87 of the 140 games he played during his rookie season, but spent all but one game at designated hitter in 2024. Yoshida played just one inning in left field last season.
Red Sox outfield in 2025
Yoshida isn't the best defender anyways, which makes it hard to fit him into Boston's loaded outfield. The defensively dynamic Ceddanne Rafaela will lock down center field, while breakout stars Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu (who won the Gold Glove in right field in 2024) will man the corner outfield positions. Veteran Rob Refsnyder was also brought back to give the team outfield depth, and top prospect Roman Anthony is knocking at the door of the Major Leagues.
While the Red Sox could still swing a trade that sends Yoshida somewhere he could DH, Cora was very high on the idea of fitting his bat into the lineup whenever possible. But whenever Yoshida is good to play the field, the manager is going to have to pull off quite the juggling act to get everyone playing time in the Boston outfield this season.
