Again, one truly has to question what the Boston Red Sox are doing with Masataka Yoshida. Having a player on a five-year, $90 million deal, stocked away on the injured list, doesn't make much sense for all parties involved.
The Red Sox could use his bat, as he's been a competent hitter throughout his big league career, posting a 110 OPS+.
However, unfortunately, it doesn't sound like Yoshida is close to a return. It was reported earlier in the week that he isn't ready to begin a rehab assignment, a concerning sign as the Red Sox could potentially even look to move him at the deadline.
Speaking to reporters about the situation, Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow addressed the question, adding that his hitting is ahead of the curve, but his throwing program has still been an issue.
"I think there’s no reason for somebody who we think can help us to be stashed anywhere other than Fenway Park," Breslow said.
"Hitting is ahead. He has no discomfort when he is hitting. But as it relates to the throwing program, there have been some hurdles. He’s going through an interval throwing program. He’s gotten out to 120 feet. But the intensity has been really, really light, so he is not really able to add enough intensity to make this reasonable to play in games, and that’s obviously important. If we were just evaluating by distance, it might be a little bit deceiving here because the intensity is not game-like at all.”
There isn't a chance for Yoshida to be a designated hitter on the Red Sox, unless they put Rafael Devers back in the infield, which would cause confusion elsewhere.
At this stage, it looks like the better plan would be to trade him, unfortunately.
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