Red Sox

Red Sox DH Masataka Yoshida avoids surgery on injured thumb

Alex Cora told reporters he will "see how [Yoshida] feels in a few weeks."

Masataka Yoshida won't be back in the Red Sox lineup for a few weeks, but got some good news regarding his thumb injury. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

By Colin McCarthy

May 10, 2024

The Red Sox finally caught a stroke of good luck in their recent string of injuries, as designated hitter Masataka Yoshida won’t require surgery on his left thumb.

Yoshida was placed on Boston’s 10-day injured list just over a week ago with a strained left thumb. While he isn’t expected back in the Red Sox lineup for some time, it seems Yoshida will avoid the prolonged absence that surgery would require.

Speaking to the media Friday, Alex Cora said he will “see how [Yoshida] feels in a few weeks.”

Yoshida saw three different specialists to confirm that he can go straight into the rehab process for the thumb injury.

Cora: No surgery for Yoshida. “Now we’ve just got to wait… see how he feels in a few weeks.”

On Whitlock live BP: If he bounces back well, a rehab assignment could be next.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) May 10, 2024

Yoshida’s 2024 hasn’t lived up to his spring training expectations once he became Boston’s full-time option at DH. He had a cold bat early in the season and was healthy scratched a handful of times, particularly during Rafael Devers’s DH stint, as the Red Sox outfield depth was too strong for Yoshida to crack.

It seemed Yoshida began to turn a corner before his injury. He is batting .275 on the season with a pair of home runs and 11 RBIs.

The 30-year-old is in just his second season in the major leagues and had a promising rookie campaign in 2023. In that season, which was largely underwhelming for the Red Sox as a whole, Yoshida batted .289 with 72 RBIs, 15 home runs, and 155 hits. His weaknesses came more on the defensive side of the ball, and fueling his move into the DH role.

Rob Refsnyder is the newest batter taking on the DH workload this year, and is putting together strong at-bats of late. Refsnyder is batting .351 with eight RBIs and one home run in 14 games played this season.

Seeing as Boston will be without Yoshida for at least a few more weeks, Cora and company will get an extended look at Refsnyder’s offense before deciding where Yoshida fits into the lineup upon his return.