Alex Cora Announces Major Masataka Yoshida News for Red Sox

In the final week before the All-Star break, Yoshida is set to make his 2025 Red Sox debut after missing significant time due to a shoulder issue. He briefly had a rehab stint in Triple-A, and a few days later, he is on track to make it back to the Major League before the All-Star break.

Cora previously revealed he plans to platoon Yoshida and Rob Refsnyder at designated hitter, which should bolster the offense significantly. With Yoshida set to return soon, the Red Sox offense could see an uptick in production.

In 2024, the last time he played in the Majors, Yoshida hit .280 on the year with 10 home runs and 56 RBIs. He had a solid .764 OPS and played 108 games for the Red Sox in year two of a five-year, $90 million contract.

Before suffering his shoulder injury, Yoshida had been hitting well in the preseason. He had a .286 batting average with a .686 OPS. While nothing incredible, it was a solid production and hinted at his continued success once the regular season began.

But the shoulder issue derailed his season and caused him to miss more than half the year. However, with this announcement from Cora, the Red Sox slugger is set to return to the Majors before the All-Star break.

It's great news for the Red Sox. Sitting just 2.5 games out of a postseason spot, Yoshida could help the team make a push for the postseason for the first time since 2021.