Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter underwent successful shoulder surgery
Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida told reporters on the final day of the season that he was dealing with an undisclosed shoulder injury that might require surgery.
It turns out Yoshida went under the knife and had successful surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, the team announced on Wednesday morning.
“Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida underwent a successful right shoulder labral repair on October 3, 2024. The procedure was performed by Dr. Evan O’Donnell at Massachusetts General Hospital,” the team released in a statement.
There is no timetable on how long Yoshida’s recovery will take or if he will be ready for spring training.
Yoshida didn’t miss any time during the season with a shoulder injury; he did miss 37 games with a left thumb strain in May and early June. The Japanese star told reporters his shoulder had been nagging him since spring training.
“When I had swings and misses, I felt it a little bit,” Yoshida said. “I felt like I could keep swinging and playing, so that’s why I kept playing.”
Yoshida’s second season with the Red Sox saw him primarily as the team’s designated hitter after playing left field as a rookie in 2023. The left-handed hitter played in 108 games; he hit .280 with 10 homers with 56 RBI, 21 doubles, and two stolen bases while recording a .764 OPS.
“Going into my second year, I was expecting a lot from myself. It was actually far from what I expected myself to be,” Yoshida said during the last week of the season. “Compared to other elite, first-class guys, I’m not there yet, physically or mentally.”
Yoshida told Japanese reporters that his shoulder injury prevented him from throwing long distances this season. Meanwhile, the Red Sox maintained all season long that Yoshida not playing the field was not related to physical issues. Alex Cora said that Yoshida not playing the field had more to do with the abundance of outfielders on the roster.
“That’s not the reason he was only the DH,” said Cora. “The first game of the season, Willy wasn’t playing. It was O’Neill, Rafaela, Duran. We had the other guys. I think we accomplished a lot of things playing those guys in the outfield. Our defense was better, and Masa did his thing as the DH.”
The Red Sox owe $54 million to Yoshida, and with his shoulder surgery, it will be hard to move him in a trade this offseason. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow needs to make the roster make more sense heading into 2025. The team needs more flexibility roster-wise and remains too left-handed heavy.
