Masataka Yoshida's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (knee) has returned to third base on Saturday against the visiting Chicago Cubs, which has allowed outfielder Masataka Yoshida to return to the lineup as the designated hitter against right-hander Ben Brown. Devers is hitting in the two-hole, while Tanaka is batting sixth for the BoSox. Devers missed five games with a knee injury recently but has been hot at the plate since returning, going 7-for-13 with a homer, double, two RBI and three runs scored in three games. He's a must-start anytime he's active. Tanaka, meanwhile, returns to the fold after missing the last four games, although he has appeared as a pinch-hitter. The 30-year-old left-handed hitter has essentially become a DH only for Boston and is hitting .233 (17-for-73) with two homers and 10 RBI to start the year.

Boston Red Sox outfielders Tyler O'Neill and Masataka Yoshida are not in the lineup for the matinee game on Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians. Rob Refsnyder is in left field and is batting third, while Wilyer Abreu is in right field and hitting cleanup against Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie. O'Neill is getting the day off after playing the last two games upon his activation from the injured list. He went 2-for-9 in the last two games with four strikeouts and is now hitting .298 on the year with seven home runs and eight RBI. Yoshida is still considered the team's primary designated hitter, but he's out for the third straight game while the club eases third baseman Rafael Devers back from his knee injury. Devers is expected to be back at the hot corner by Saturday, which means Yoshida should be back as the DH by then as well.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida is once again on the bench for Wednesday's contest against the Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Carlos Carrasco. The lefty-swinging outfielder hasn't started a game since April 20 as it's unclear if he is dealing with an injury or is simply in manager Alex Cora's doghouse. He did make a pinch-hitting plate appearance on Tuesday, so it appears to be the latter. The 30-year-old isn't exactly off to a terrible start, hitting .250 with two homers, 10 RBI, a tiny 13.6% K%, and a .708 OPS in 21 games, production that grades out 6% above the league average, as per his 106 wRC+. Rafael Devers is back in the lineup at designated hitter while Tyler O'Neill and Wilyer Abreu are manning the corner outfield spots.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the Oakland Athletics. This appears to be a routine rest day for Yoshida who has been off to a rough start at the plate. Currently, Yoshida is batting .211 with two RBI in five games. The hope is that a night off will help Yoshida get back on track. In his absence, Triston Casas will serve as the designated hitter and bat sixth versus left-hander Alex Wood on Tuesday.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that he expects outfielder Masataka Yoshida to get the majority of his at-bats this year at designated hitter. In his first year in the big leagues in 2023, the 30-year-old Japanese outfielder struggled defensively for the BoSox in left field, which has made newcomer Tyler O'Neill the most likely candidate to start at that position for the team in 2024. Yoshida should still be an everyday player, though, and will occasionally make starts in the outfield when O'Neill needs some rest. Offensively, Yoshida didn't show a ton of power (15 home runs), but he had a solid .289/.338/.445 slash line with 72 RBI, eight stolen bases and 71 runs scored in 140 games. There's reason to believe Yoshida will be able to improve, if even slightly, in his sophomore campaign.