The Boston Red Sox have been plagued by injuries in 2024 and they finally got a positive injury update for their designated hitter.
Masataka Yoshida left Boston’s April 28 game against the Chicago Cubs after he jammed his hand during his second at-bat. There were mixed messages from the team about the severity of the DH’s injury — Alex Cora shared in the postgame press conference that he was concerned for Yoshida’s hand, while Yoshida himself said he would wait to see how it felt before he underwent any testing or imaging.
Boston announced that Masataka Yoshida might require surgery on his left thumb and would need several medical opinions to determine the best course of action.
On May 10, 12 days into his time on the injured list, Yoshida told Japanese media that he doesn’t need surgery on his thumb. The Red Sox haven’t given a clear timetable for his return, but Yoshida was initially placed on a 10-day injured list, which has now expired.
Yoshida’s injury came just as he was finding his stride at the plate. Before he started gaining momentum offensively, Yoshida hadn’t started a game for a week. This happened while Tyler O’Neill and Rafael Devers were recovering from their respective injuries and took turns as designated hitter, a role that would otherwise go to Yoshida, who might have felt slighted. He hit .318/.375/.477 over his last 13 games.
Boston’s offense has been lackluster recently, making Yoshida’s return to the lineup more critical. However, Yoshida described his thumb injury as “a strange case,” which doesn’t suggest a swift recovery. It would be ideal for the Red Sox to get him back on the field soon, but his injury’s complexity might delay his return.
