The Red Sox are struggling offensively but Masataka Yoshida hopes to provide a spark in his return after a lengthy injury absence.
Yoshida anticipates making his return to the Red Sox before the All-Star break, per The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey. The third-year pro told reporters he’s eager to take the field again after a lengthy injury layoff.
Red Sox hope Masataka Yoshida return sparks struggling offense
Yoshida opened the 2025 season on the 60-day injured list after undergoing surgery last October to repair a torn labrum. He experienced setbacks in his recovery during spring training but is now close to rejoining the team.
Since the Devers trade, the Red Sox are at or near the bottom of the league in runs scored, RBI, batting average, on-base percentage and OPS. Boston’s offense has the second-highest strikeout percentage and second-lowest walks-to-strikeout ratio in that span.
The club hopes Yoshida can stabilize the lineup. The Red Sox landed Yoshida in free agency ahead of the 2023 campaign. Over two seasons he’s slashed .285/.343/.433 with an OPS+ of 112. While he hasn’t produced flashy stats, he’s proven to be a consistent contact hitter who can get on base.
After splitting time between left field and designated hitter in his rookie season, Yoshida played almost exclusively at DH in 2024. But after signing Alex Bregman and switching Devers to designated hitter in the spring, the Red Sox planned on moving Yoshida to the outfield when he returned from the IL. Now that Devers has been shipped off to the Giants, Boston is suddenly in need of an everyday DH. And Yoshida is expected to fill that role.
After winning 10 of 12 games earlier this month, the Red Sox have since lost five straight. They’re now 40-42 on the season and seven games back in the division.
