BOSTON -- The Red Sox have played .500 ball through the first two months of the season, staying afloat with a makeshift lineup to deal with several injuries to impact bats.
Boston gets one of those hitters back on Tuesday night with Masataka Yoshida in the lineup for the Red Sox for the first time since April 28. Boston's manager believes the second-year big-leaguer will use a thumb guard moving forward after dealing with a thumb strain.
"Obviously it's not perfect, but he feels he can compete at this level," Alex Cora told reporters on Tuesday. "Get the timing down. The more at-bats he gets here, the quicker he's gonna get there."
The Red Sox expect Yoshida to play consistently to get at-bats with the team instead of in the minor leagues with a longer rehab assignment. Cora added that despite Tyler O'Neill's lingering knee issues, Yoshida will be the designated hitter and will not play the outfield as of now.
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Yoshida slashed .275/.348/.388 with a pair of home runs in 24 games before the injury. While the Red Sox still need more bats back, Boston hopes Yoshida's return can extend the lineup with deeper production.
"When he got hurt, he was swinging the bat well," Cora added. "Put good at-bats in Pittsburgh. Put the ball in the air. One of the things I've been telling everybody, he is who he is. He's gonna hit some grounders, but he's hitting for average. He's gonna hit doubles. He's gonna put good at-bats. That's what we're looking for."
Yoshida returns as the Red Sox host the National League's top team -- the Philadelphia Phillies at Fenway Park.
Featured image via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
