Overview
- Masataka Yoshida, who sat the first two games following Thursday’s opener, will appear in three of the next five games according to Alex Cora.
- Cora detailed a rotation that keeps Ceddanne Rafaela in center and Wilyer Abreu in right when possible, uses Jarren Duran at designated hitter, plays Roman Anthony in right at times, and works Yoshida in for at-bats.
- Yoshida is in year four of a five-year, $90 million deal, and The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey predicts Boston will try to trade him by summer, likely by paying down salary or attaching a prospect.
- MLB insider Ken Rosenthal said the situation looks like a designation for assignment waiting to happen if the Red Sox cannot find a trade partner.
- Yoshida hit .375 with six RBIs for Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, yet his MLB role has shrunk after a 2025 line of .266/.307/.388 in 55 games, and the squeeze could tighten further when Triston Casas returns.