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The Boston Red Sox are trying fight their way back into contention for a spot in the playoffs in the second half of the season. While they have played inconsistent baseball and been troubled by injuries in the first half of the season, they have been starting to hit the ball much better and the team is getting healthier as they approach the All-Star break.
The big news will come when 3rd baseman Alex Bregman returns to the lineup following a strain of his right quad muscle. He could be back before the All-Star break. Manager Alex Cora also expects that Masataka Yoshida will be active in the team's upcoming homestand. Yoshida has been out with a shoulder injury since the start of the season.
The Red Sox manager did not specify when Yoshida will be back in the lineup. They will have back-to-back series at Fenway Park against the Colorado Rockies and the Tampa Bay Rays before the All-Star break.
When Yoshida does return to the lineup, he will fill the designated hitter position. The Red Sox have been getting solid production from Rob Refsnyder and Roman Anthony at DH in recent games, so there's no need to force-feed Yoshida into the lineup. However, the Japanese import has shown a solid stroke when he has been healthy for the Red Sox in his first two seasons with the team.
Yoshida slashed .289/.338/.445 with 15 home runs and 72 RBI in 2023 and he followed that with solid numbers last season. He slashed .280/.349/.415 with 10 home runs and 56 RBI. The left-handed hitting Yoshida should be an asset in the batting order when facing right-handed pitching.
Red Sox have suddenly been putting runs on the board
The Red Sox have been an inconsistent offensive team throughout the majority of the season, and their ability to score runs took a dip when they traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants last month.
The Red Sox went through a six-game losing streak shortly after the trade, but they appear to have gotten over their offensive funk. They have scored 10 or more runs in three of their last seven games, and they had nine runs on the board in Saturday's game against the Washington Nationals through five innings.
The Red Sox have been more competitive in the American League East and should have a good chance of getting into the Wild Card race if they can't catch the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East.
While there are still questions about the pitching staff — outside of No. 1 starter Garrett Crochet and closer Aroldis Chapman — the hitting should be solid as Bregman and Yoshida prepare to return to the lineup.
