Red Sox Could Get Creative To Fill Designated Hitter Spot

The Boston Red Sox have a hole at designated hitter following the departure of Rafael Devers.

Devers, who was traded to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, played each of Boston’s first 73 games, hitting .272 with 15 home runs.

The Red Sox know they need to replace that offensive output somehow, and they could get creative to do so. Alex Cora spoke to the media prior to Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Mariners and offered one solution.

According to MLB.com’s Ian Browne, Cora spoke “enthusiastically” about using Masataka Yoshida and Rob Refsnyder in a platoon at designated hitter. Yoshida has yet to play this season as he recovers from an injury, but the Red Sox could accelerate his timeline to get him back in the lineup.

The left-handed hitter excels against right-handed pitching. He’s a career .300 hitter with 20 home runs against righties, and his ability to put the ball in play could be very beneficial to a lineup that strikes out often. Yoshida’s strikeout rate against righties is 13.4%, well below the league average.

Meanwhile, left-handed pitchers have nightmares about Refsnyder. His 168 wRC+ against southpaws is 14th among qualified hitters. He’s hit righties well this season as well, but he’s been better against lefties for his career.

It’s unclear when Yoshida will be ready to return to the lineup, but he was able to hit DH in spring training. He’ll likely take at-bats in the minor leagues to find his timing before returning to the Boston lineup.