The team is facing some crucial decisions as Opening Day approaches in just two weeks. A key player made a return to the lineup on Saturday and is expected to be ready for the season opener. There’s a chance this player could take on the designated hitter (DH) role to gradually ease back into full form after recovery. In addition, another player also returned to the lineup on Saturday, which could lead to a surplus of outfielders if both are healthy by Opening Day. This situation might directly affect the role of one of the team’s outfielders.
Yoshida, who has been recovering from shoulder surgery, is getting back into the swing of things and has been performing well in recent games. His progress with throwing, however, is still something to watch as his right shoulder continues to gain strength. This raises the question of what the team will do with him moving forward. If Devers takes on the DH role on Opening Day, Yoshida might find himself in a less certain position. If Devers doesn’t serve as DH, Yoshida could step in as the obvious choice. But, with the Red Sox potentially having a surplus of outfielders, Yoshida’s role remains up in the air.
There are several possibilities at play, with one option being that Yoshida could begin the season on the Injured List (IL) while continuing to work his way back to full health, especially in terms of his throwing ability. Once he’s ready, he could eventually rejoin the outfield mix. Another possibility, although less likely, is that the Red Sox could explore trading Yoshida. However, that would be difficult due to the three years and $55.8 million remaining on his contract, as noted by Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Yoshida, who signed a five-year, $90 million deal with the Red Sox, is now in the third year of that contract, leaving the team with several questions to answer as the season begins.
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