BOSTON — Having missed the first 93 games on the schedule, Masataka Yoshida returned to the Red Sox’ active roster Wednesday, deepening the team’s lineup while also further complicating an already crowded outfield.
Yoshida, who underwent major surgery on his right shoulder last October, took part in Grapefruit League games in spring training but was limited to DH duty as his shoulder healed. The Red Sox had wanted him available to play the outfield once the regular season began and that took additional time as he worked through his throwing progression.
Ironically, the Red Sox had been driven to have Yoshida available for play in the outfield because the DH spot was occupied full-time by Rafael Devers. But when Devers was traded to San Francisco last month, it opened up a vacancy at DH, which Yoshida will now fill — at least against righthanded pitching.
“When he’s healthy,” said Alex Cora, “if you remember until Kansas City (when he got an injection in 2023), he was probably one of the best lefties in the game. And last year, he proved the same thing. Last year, he was banged up. He was. That’s the reason he didn’t play the outfield.
“Now, it was major surgery, he went through the process, he had some setbacks and he feels like he’s on point now. You can see it in BP now — he’s backspinning the ball the way he did in ‘23. It’s just a good at-bat, a patient at-bat, he’ll put the ball in play with men in scoring position. He’ll drive the ball when he needs to. I’m very happy to have him.”
A year ago, there wasn’t much slug in Yoshida’s game thanks to the shoulder issue which restricted his follow-through. Yoshida resolved at-bats more quickly last year because of his shoulder. Now, he has the ability to extend the at-bat and drive the ball harder.
In his rookie year with the Sox, his slugging percentage was a respectable .445; last year, it dipped to .415.
“We expect him to hit the ball in the air. We expect better at-bats,” said Cora. “Now, he’s going to go back to working counts and looking for pitches in his honey hole and drive them. He’s a lot stronger now than he was two years ago.”
Asked if it’s possible — given the adjustments he was making in his first season and injury he dealt with last year – that the Red Sox have not yet seen the best version of him, Yoshida concurred.
“I would say so,” he said through a translator. “I think every year, guys are improving and I am improving, too. I just want to show what I can do on the field and I’m ready to compete.”
Yoshida worked out some at first base while in Worcester, but as Cora had hinted, that was more of a contingency plan in the event he’s needed there late in games following some in-game substitutions.
“We haven’t talked about that yet,” said Yoshida about playing first in the big leagues.
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