Red Sox Strategic In Resting Masataka Yoshida To Prevent Fatigue

Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida is still getting acclimated to the schedule of Major League Baseball and Boston has been very strategic in ensuring the 29-year-old rookie gets a full re-set.

Through conversations with the Orix Buffaloes, Yoshida’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) team, the Red Sox learned when Yoshida is feeling fatigued he can sink into poor mechanics at the plate, often rolling over on pitches and grounding out to the right side of the infield.

“When he’s struggling or if he doesn’t feel great physically, there’s a lot of pulled ground balls and not too many line drives the other way,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters before Boston’s series opener against the New York Yankees on Friday. “If you look at his chart the last two weeks, that’s been the case.”

Fatigue must have been set in because in his last five games prior to Friday night’s game against the Yankees, Yoshida went 1-for-16 at the plate. Cora gave Yoshida the last game of the series against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, with the extra day off on Thursday.

Boston’s skipper also mentioned that the differences between MLB and NPB traveling schedules are something Yoshida is adjusting to.

“Traveling is different here,” Cora said. “You got long trips to the West Coast and you have to come back. There it’s six games a week and you travel in the same time zone.”