If you told Red Sox fans before the season started that the team would be fourth in the A.L. East mid-way through June, they’d be stunned. Disappointment best describes the team’s 33-36 start to the season.
New additions, Alex Bregman and Garrett Crochet, have been heavy contributors to the Red Sox, and without them, who knows how bad they would be. Since Bregman went down, it was clear the team needed a spark, and the Red Sox finally answered fan’s calls by calling up Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony.
With Anthony on the team, the Red Sox outfield is crowded and will be a problem down the road with the recent update on this injured outfielder.
Masataka Yoshida is Feeling Better After Injury
Rob Bradford of WEEI reported on X, formerly Twitter, that Masataka Yoshida “feels a lot better” and is hopeful to start his rehab assignment in the near future. Yoshida underwent shoulder surgery in October and dealt with setbacks in his recovery in Spring Training, which led him to being placed on the 60-day injured list.
Yoshida said had cortisone shot a couple of weeks ago and is now throwing out to 105 feet. Feels a lot better. Said realistic goal is to be able go on rehab assignment later this month or early next month
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) June 10, 2025
On May 4th, Yoshida received a cortisone shot due to the lingering pain he felt when throwing the ball and started his throwing program on the 21st, where he was throwing from 60 feet. Now, Yoshida is throwing from 105 feet, which is a good step in his recovery.
Although this is good news for Yoshida, the Red Sox currently don’t have a place to put him. Their outfield room is currently packed, with Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Rob Refsnyder all on the roster.
The signing of Alex Bregman moved Rafael Devers to full-time DH, which is where Yoshida primarily played last year. The Red Sox seem pretty reliant on playing Yoshida at outfield and their current jam could lead them to trading away an outfielder.
Yoshida, 31, is currently in year three of his five-year, $90 million contract. His play has not met the criteria for what he signed for, as his .977% fielding has only proved to be useful for his bat. His contract would be hard for the Red Sox to get rid of, as the team still owes him $45 million.
Yoshida’s bat, however, is good and the Red Sox could use it, as the team leads the league in strikeouts (642). In his tenure with the Red Sox, Yoshida’s slash line is .285/.349/.415, hitting 25 home runs, and 128 RBIs in 248 games.
Yoshida could help bolster a Red Sox lineup that ranks 6th in batting average (.255) and 5th in RBIs (327), but their crowded outfield room requires them to either move on from him or someone else.