The Boston Red Sox are hovering around the .500 mark. The odds of Boston making a run at the American League East division title are slim, but Boston could still make an American League Wild Card push. Boston is close to getting an important player back from injury amid their goal of climbing up the standings.
According to MLB.com, Masataka Yoshida is expected to begin a rehab assignment during the weekend. It is not clear exactly which day Yoshida will begin the assignment, but it will likely come before June 9 barring a setback.
Yoshida has been out since late April with a left thumb strain. The Red Sox have provided various updates on Yoshida over the past month and now it appears he is on the verge of a return.
Boston has stayed afloat despite the roster featuring a number of question marks. It was uncertain how well they would perform entering the season. Sure, Red Sox fans expect more from the ball club. Given the injuries and uncertainty around the team, though, the Red Sox have performed fairly well.
Perhaps Masataka Yoshida can provide a crucial boost once he returns to the lineup.
Masataka Yoshida's impact on lineup
Yoshida, who finished sixth in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2023, has appeared in 24 games so far in 2024. He slashed .275/.348/.388/.736 across those contests.
Yoshida is a valuable player to have in a lineup. He gets on base at a respectable rate and tends to hit for a quality batting average. He also offers some power from the left-side of the plate. Yoshida features the ability to change the dynamic of a lineup given his skillset.
He can also hit anywhere in the lineup as a result of everything he brings to the table. Yoshida hit 15 home runs and stole 11 bases during the 2023 season. He also recorded a .783 OPS. The Red Sox believe in Masataka Yoshida and are excited to have him return soon.
Rehab assignments are difficult to predict timelines for. If all goes well, however, it would not be surprising to see Yoshida back in a Red Sox uniform within the next week or two.
Red Sox roster
Is the Red Sox roster good enough to compete at a high level?
The lineup isn't the most intimidating group. A number of players in addition to Yoshida such as Trevor Story and Triston Casas are currently out with injuries.
The starting rotation has been a bright spot for the most part. Tanner Houck looks like a potential AL Cy Young candidate while Kutter Crawford has also impressed. Nick Pivetta is a reliable veteran while Brayan Bello has a high-ceiling.
There was not much hope for Boston's rotation after it was announced that Lucas Giolito would likely miss the season due to injury in spring training. The Red Sox rotation has ended up leading the way, however.
Sure, Boston may not look like a World Series contender at the moment. The Red Sox could surprise some people in the American League moving forward, especially if Masataka Yoshida performs at a high level once he returns.
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