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Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida: Out of lineup Thursday
Rotowire
Yoshida is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against Atlanta, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com
Yoshida will sit out of Thursday's lineup since left-hander Chris Sale is taking the mound for Atlanta. Boston will opt to go with Andruw Monasterio as the DH, batting fifth. Yoshida has only recorded 16 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers this season and has a .200/.250/.333 slash line in that split.
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Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida: Hits first homer in loss
Rotowire
Yoshida went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Sunday's 6-5 loss to the Twins.
Yoshida got the Red Sox on the board with a solo shot in the second inning, his first homer of the campaign. It also marked the 34-year-old's first multi-hit effort dating back to May 6, as he entered Sunday just 5-for-33 over his previous 13 games since that date. For the year, he's slashing .263/.355/.379 with one home run, seven RBI, 10 runs scored and one steal across 110 plate appearances while starting against most right-handed pitchers.
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Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida: Idle Saturday
Rotowire
Yoshida isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Twins.
Yoshida notched a base hit in each of Boston's games during its last series against Kansas City, but he'll move to the bench for a second straight game Saturday. Mickey Gasper starts as the DH, batting second.
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Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida: Sitting against right-hander
Rotowire
Yoshida is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against Atlanta.
Even with right-hander Spencer Strider on the mound, interim manager Chad Tracy is going with Mickey Gasper in the second spot in the lineup at designated hitter. Yoshida is 7-for-24 at the plate this month but has just one extra-base hit and zero RBI since April 19.
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Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida: Receives uptick in playing time
Rotowire
Yoshida started at designated hitter and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Thursday's 8-4 loss to the Tampa Bay.
Yoshida is getting more opportunities with Roman Anthony (wrist) landing on the 10-day injured list Thursday. Without Anthony, the lefty-batting Yoshida has started two consecutive games and should continue to get work whenever the Red Sox face a right-hander.
Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida: Enters mid-game Monday
Rotowire
Yoshida entered Monday's 5-4 win over the Tigers to play left field after Roman Anthony (wrist) was removed from the game. Yoshida went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
Where former manager Alex Cora tried to weave Yoshida into starting lineups more consistently, interim manager Chad Tracy sees him more as a weapon off the bench -- the outfielder is 2-for-5 with two walks as a pinch hitter. He's started just once in the eight games since Boston's managerial change; however, with Anthony heading back to Boston for more testing, Yoshida could slip into the starting lineup Tuesday and/or Wednesday in left field or as the designated hitter. In limited run in 2026, Yoshida is slashing .296/.415/.370 with 10 walks, four doubles, five RBI and six runs scored over 65 plate appearances.
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Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida: Enters Sunday's lineup
Rotowire
Yoshida will start in left field and bat sixth in Sunday's game against San Diego, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Yoshida will be making his first appearance of the series and just his fourth through nine games to begin the year. Roman Anthony moves from left field to DH, while Jarren Duran replaces the idle Ceddanne Rafaela in center field. Yoshida is 0-for-9 with six walks in 2026.
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Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida: Slated for three starts
Rotowire
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Saturday that Yoshida will start in three of the team's next five games, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Yoshida has not been in the Red Sox's starting lineup for the first two games of the season, but Cora indicated that the 32-year-old will get some opportunities before long. Cora relayed that he's comfortable with Yoshida playing in left field, and when the latter does play, his presence will seemingly bump one of Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu or Roman Anthony out of the lineup. Yoshida didn't make his 2025 debut until early July while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, and he went on to slash .266/.307/.388 with four home runs and three steals across 205 plate appearances.
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Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida: Has no obvious role
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Yoshida remains with no obvious role entering the final week of spring training, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.
Yoshida made some noise for Team Japan during the World Baseball Classic, but he returned to Fort Myers in the same position as when he departed for the WBC. The Red Sox have five outfielders for four positions, including DH. Boston manager Alex Cora feels it's a luxury as opposed to a problem and will figure out how the pieces can fit. At this point, it's hard to see where Yoshida fits on a regular basis.
Yoshida's role for the 2026 roster is uncertain entering training camp, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.
Yoshida enters the fourth year of a five-year contract having underwhelmed since his arrival in Boston. Injuries have played a part, but the 32-year-old has also been passed on the depth chart by younger options. A shoulder injury to open 2025 limited him to 55 regular-season games in which he recorded an unremarkable slash line of .266/.307/.388, but an .837 OPS during the month of September suggests the shoulder was still an issue most of the year. Designated hitter appears to be his best fit, but the Red Sox also need to figure out a spot for Triston Casas (knee) when he's cleared to play, and the team already has four other outfielders pushing for regular at-bats.
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