Red Sox’s Alex Cora Provides Important Injury Update on Masataka Yoshida

The Boston Red Sox's lineup is currently missing a player who has been a nearly everyday starter for the team over the last two seasons – and his name is not Rafael Devers.

Outfielder Masataka Yoshida underwent a procedure on his right shoulder in early October of last year and has yet to appear in an MLB game this season. Over the past few weeks, though, Red Sox manager Alex Cora has given positive updates about progress Yoshida has made since his offseason surgery.

Cora provided his most encouraging update yet on Saturday, confirming that Yoshida will begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday.

"The swing feels great. The throwing has been a lot better being able to bounce back. We just have to map it out how many games in the outfield versus [at] DH," Cora said, via ESPN's Mike Monaco. "In the end, when the hitting feels comfortable, he'll be with us."

Yoshida played exclusively at designated hitter during the 2024 season, but left field remains his primary position. He told reporters on Friday that his plan is to not only play in the outfield in 2025, but also to hopefully return to the big-league squad ahead of the All-Star break, which begins on Monday, July 14.

“Just for me, being able to go back out there as an outfielder, that was my goal when I decided to get the surgery,” Yoshida said through his translator Yutaro Yamaguchi, via MassLive's Chris Cotillo. “So, I’m just working towards that goal right now.”

The Red Sox initially acquired Yoshida, who previously played for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball, as an international free agent ahead of the 2023 season. Across his two MLB campaigns, he is a career .285 hitter with 25 home runs, 128 RBIs, a .776 OPS and 2.8 WAR (according to Baseball Reference) in 248 games.