Boston Red Sox player Masataka Yoshida (32) has started playing first base for the first time since high school in preparation for his return to Major League Baseball.
Japanese media Sports Nippon Annex reported on the 4th (Korean time) that 'Yoshida, who was placed on the injured list following right shoulder surgery in October of last year, started as the designated hitter in a Triple-A game under Boston's minor league system on the 3rd, recording no hits in two at-bats and one walk.'
Yoshida is a veteran hitter who recorded a batting average of .327 in 762 games in Nippon Professional Baseball, with 884 hits in 2,703 at-bats, 133 home runs, 467 RBIs, 418 runs scored, and 21 stolen bases, and an OPS of .960. He challenged to enter Major League Baseball in December 2022 through a posting and signed a contract with Boston for 5 years and $90 million (about 1.228 trillion won).
In Boston, Yoshida has shown some performance at the plate over two seasons, recording a batting average of .285 in 248 games, with 261 hits in 915 at-bats, 25 home runs, 128 RBIs, 116 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases, and an OPS of .775. However, he left some disappointment by not contributing to the team defensively and on the basepaths. According to the baseball statistics site Baseball Reference, his Wins Above Replacement (WAR) over two seasons was only 2.8. The WAR from another baseball statistics site, FanGraphs, was just 1.5.
After the end of last season, Yoshida's standing within the team sharply deteriorated. In this year's spring training, he recorded a batting average of .286 in 11 games, with 10 hits in 35 at-bats, 1 home run, 7 RBIs, 5 runs scored, and an OPS of .686, which was not satisfactory, and he started the season in Triple-A due to injuries.
Having not played in an actual game since spring training, Yoshida finally participated in a minor league game on the 3rd. He faced pitchers with extensive Major League experience, such as Chris Devenski and Julian Merryweather. Yoshida said, 'It was meaningful to see high-level pitchers.'
Before the game, Yoshida practiced first base while wearing a first baseman's mitt. Sports Nippon Annex explained, 'This is the first time Yoshida has practiced first base since high school. He showed motivation by viewing this new challenge as an option to increase his chances of making it to the big leagues.'
[OSEN]