After a long first half of setbacks and anticipation, the Boston Red Sox have finally activated Masataka Yoshida from the 60-day injured list. He underwent labrum repair surgery over the offseason and was expected to be ready to play by Opening Day, but delays in his throwing progression kept him on the sidelines until the second half.
After Alex Bregman's injury and the Rafael Devers trade, Boston's offense looked desperate for a lift. Its recent series against the last-place Nationals and Rockies have seemingly brought the bats back to life, but Yoshida's consistency at the plate will be a welcome addition to the batting order, regardless.
The 31-year-old posted a five-game rehab assignment between Double-A and Triple-A before his activation. He collected four hits, all singles, two runs, two strikeouts, two walks and three RBI in his short rehab stint.
Yoshida batted .285/.343/.433 in his first two seasons with the Red Sox. He's known for his superior ability to get on base, which he hasn't fully shown in MLB, but his career .421 on-base percentage from his seven seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball shows serious promise. Yoshida ranked in the 95th percentile in whiff percentage and the 97th percentile in strikeout percentage in 2024.
Red Sox activate Masataka Yoshida from 60-day IL, place Nick Burdi on 60-day IL
Base hit for Yoshida! pic.twitter.com/vW43Tg7xSI
— Portland Sea Dogs (@PortlandSeaDogs) July 5, 2025
Yoshida will debut as Boston's designated hitter despite the promise that he'll return to the outfield this season. The Red Sox have a serious logjam in the pastures, with Yoshida, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Rob Refsnyder all vying for three spots, and the competition has fueled trade rumors ahead of this year's deadline.
The Red Sox optioned Nate Eaton to Triple-A and placed pitcher Nick Burdi on the 60-day IL to make room for Yoshida on the 40-man roster. Boston signed Burdi to a minor league deal this offseason and he appeared in the big leagues four times without allowing a run. He posted a 1.29 ERA with 28 strikeouts over 21 innings with the WooSox.