Masataka Yoshida has had an uncertain few days since being scratched from the Red Sox lineup with hamstring tightness, but it seems as though his path to a return is clearing up.
Yoshida missed the final two games of a series sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays. The original plan was for him to make a return as the Red Sox moved forward to take on the Los Angeles Angels, but a two-day absence turned into a four-day absence, leaving Boston fans a tad nervous regarding his status moving forward.
Fret not Red Sox fans, as a plan is in place for his return.
“One more day for (Yoshida) just to make sure he’s ready,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Saturday, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “He’ll play tomorrow. Probably (designated hitter) tomorrow and Monday he’ll play the outfield.”
An official plan is a change of pace to what the Red Sox had been doing, which was assuming the 29-year-old return before making him a late scratch on both Friday and Saturday.
Yoshida has been victim to a clear adjustment period in his first Major League Baseball season. The seven-season NPB veteran slashed .216/.356/.324 with one home run and six RBIs across 10 games. In his return, he’ll get a taste of home when he finally matches up in the big leagues with Shohei Ohtani.
