The Boston Red Sox got some unfortunate news on Wednesday.
Sep 6, 2020; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; An empty Fenway Park is seen during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
The offseason is here for Boston, and it still can't avoid the injury bug. Boston designated hitter/outfielder Mastaka Yoshida was dealing with an injury in his shoulder and underwent labral repair on his right shoulder.
That is a difficult surgery to recover from. It clearly won't be a typical offseason for Yoshida, but the team is targeting Opening Day for a return to action for him, according to MLB.com's Ian Browne.
"The Red Sox are targeting an Opening Day return for Yoshida," Browne said.
This is very interesting. With the regular season over and the Red Sox not in the playoffs, some already have wondered what type of moves Boston could make this offseason. Because of the fact that the Red Sox's lineup is very left-handed heavy, one of the most logical ideas has been trading at least one or two lefties this winter.
Yoshida is someone whose name has popped up as a trade target. He signed a five-year, $90 million deal with Boston and will be entering the third season of the pact. Yoshida signed as an outfielder but the team moved him completely to designated hitter in 2024.
Having any player fully occupy the designated hitter spot -- especially when the lineup is lefty-heavy -- is tough. Unless, of course it's David Ortiz.
Hopefully, Yoshida's road to recovery is smooth and easy, and he's able to stick to the timeline. He has been in trade talks, but with the surgery, that will make a deal less likely. Nothing can be ruled out, but maybe Yoshida will be back in 2025.
