Red Sox's Alex Cora Hit With Wild Accusation: 'Taking His Career Away'

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been treated like a punching bag by the media lately.

Earlier in the week, Cora was ripped by radio host Mike Felger for missing a Red Sox game to attend his daughter’s college graduation. Felger’s critique, misguided at best and downright foolish at worst, was nonetheless responded to by Cora with grace.

In another episode of Cora-shaming, NESN analyst Will Middlebrooks stepped up on X to defend the manager against an accusation that Cora is ruining Masataka Yoshida’s career.

Yoshida, who has yet to play in 2025 while recovering from a torn labrum, has recently been taking batting practice, leading some fans to believe that he’s capable of stepping in as a designated hitter.

With Rafael Devers now serving as Boston’s everyday DH, and with the Red Sox’s outfield fully staffed (and then some), there doesn’t seem to be a ton of room for Yoshida, but is that Cora’s fault?

Some fans think so. One of those fans, X user @ChuckL1960, took to the platform on Wednesday and blasted Cora’s handling of Yoshida.

“Amazing how the Sox (Cora) methodically wiped Masa from this team,” the post read. “Last year he couldn’t play (outfield), this year he can’t play unless he can play (outfield). They’re taking his career away.”

Middlebrooks re-posted the Cora critique and wrote:

“Blaming Cora and not the fact that (Yoshida) tore his labrum last year and (hasn't) bounced back from shoulder surgery is wild … They signed Bregman… So, as of late February (Devers) has been the DH. That’s why they wanted him to play some (outfield). It’s not that complicated.”

During the 2024 season, in which Yoshida was used primarily as a DH, Cora publicly admitted that the Red Sox preferred not to play Yoshida in the outfield. Yoshida ended up playing just one inning in the outfield for the entire year. In total, he appeared in 108 games and hit .280 with 10 home runs and 56 RBI. 

Boston’s new depth chart layout — which does feature fewer opportunities for Yoshida — has for weeks fueled speculation that the Red Sox will look to trade Yoshida before the July 31 deadline, possibly for pitching help.