The Boston Red Sox have been dealt a tough hand with Roman Anthony landing on the injured list, but every cloud has a silver lining—and for veteran Masataka Yoshida, this is his golden opportunity to prove he’s more than just a bench player.
Yoshida has been on fire recently. The 32-year-old has started Boston’s last two games as designated hitter and has reached base in seven straight contests, even when coming off the bench as a pinch-hitter. Through 73 plate appearances this season, he’s batting .295 with a stellar .411 on-base percentage—numbers that are hard to ignore.
It’s a welcome bounce-back for Yoshida, who struggled after returning from a shoulder injury last season, hitting just .266/.307/.388 in 55 games. With an $18 million annual salary and a crowded Red Sox outfield, his role looked uncertain heading into 2026. But now, with Anthony sidelined, Yoshida has a longer runway to show what he can do—especially against right-handed pitchers, where he’s historically thrived.
Against righties, the lefty slugger owns a career .296/.351/.445 slash line, and this season he’s 15-for-48 with 10 walks and only six strikeouts when holding the platoon advantage. That kind of discipline at the plate is exactly what the Red Sox need to keep rallies alive.
Sure, Yoshida hasn’t hit a home run yet this year, so he’s not going to single-handedly fix Boston’s power shortage. But he’s been one of the team’s most consistent hitters, posting the third-highest weighted runs created plus (122 wRC+) on the roster, behind only Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu. That kind of production is invaluable, especially in tight games.
If Yoshida keeps this up, interim manager Chad Tracy will face a tough decision when Anthony returns. And it’s not just Anthony—Jarren Duran has also found his groove, belting three home runs in his last seven games after a rough patch. The competition for playing time is heating up, and Yoshida is making a strong case to stay in the lineup.
All eyes will be on him Friday night when the Red Sox face the Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Jesse Scholtens. If Yoshida delivers again, he might just become an everyday fixture—and that’s a story every Red Sox fan will want to follow.