Ever since the Rafael Devers trade, the Boston Red Sox's offense has looked asleep at the wheel. Finally, the offensive reinforcement fans have been waiting for will take the final step toward his 2025 debut.
Masataka Yoshida will begin a rehab assignment with the Worcester Red Sox on July 1. If all goes well with his return to action, Yoshida could be back in the Red Sox lineup before the All-Star break — a lift Boston's bats definitely need.
Yoshida has been sidelined since the season started due to an inability to throw. He underwent labrum surgery over the offseason, which interfered with the Red Sox's plans to make Devers the designated hitter and move Yoshida back to the outfield, where his MLB career began in 2023. Finally, after months of rehab, Boston will soon get Yoshida's bat back in the lineup, which could help it address multiple of its insufficiencies.
The 32-year-old is a career .285/.343/.433 hitter with a .775 OPS in his first two seasons with the Red Sox. He's known for his elite bat-to-ball skills from his years in Nippon Professional Baseball, where he posted a career .421 on-base percentage over seven seasons. He hasn't had the same level of success in the major leagues, but he doesn't strike out nearly as often as anyone else in the Sox's lineup. In 2024, he ranked in the 97th percentile in strikeout percentage with 52 strikeouts over 108 games.
Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida expected to begin rehab assignment with WooSox on July 1
‼️Rehab Alert‼️ Masataka Yoshida is expected to begin a Major League rehab assignment this Tuesday 👀
— Worcester Red Sox (@WooSox) June 29, 2025
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Boston's lineup is desperate for the kind of length a bat like Yoshida's can provide. The Red Sox have struck out 790 times in 85 games, including a league-leading 217 strikeouts with runners in scoring position. Boston has a habit of squandering scoring chances in the least productive way possible, and it's cost it far too many close games.
If the Red Sox are going to make a run to the postseason, Yoshida's help will be critical for the rest of the season. Alex Cora didn't give an estimate of how many rehab games he may need, but if he performs at the level he did in spring training (.286/.286/.400 slash line in 11 games) it may not be long.