Boston Red Sox Outfielder Masataka Yoshida Avoids Surgery on Strained Left Thumb

Masataka Yoshida has been out since April 28 with a left thumb strain, and while he isn't ready to return just yet, the Japanese outfielder appears to have avoided the worst case scenario.

Apr 23, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Masataka Yoshida (7) tosses his bat after hitting a foul ball in the eighth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports | David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida received a third opinion on his thumb injury on Thursday and told Japanese media members that he would not require surgery, MLB.com's Ian Browne reported Friday afternoon.

Yoshida initially sustained his thumb injury against the Chicago Cubs on April 28. He was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 1 after he underwent an MRI and was diagnosed with a left thumb strain.

Manager Alex Cora said at the time at surgery was a possibility for Yoshida. After a second and third opinion, however, it appears as if Yoshida will not have to go under the knife.

Masataka Yoshida got a third opinion on his thumb yesterday and told two Japanese media members he won't need surgery.

— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) May 10, 2024

Yoshida was batting .275 with two home runs, 11 RBI, a .739 OPS and a 0.2 WAR before he went down with his injury.

The Red Sox signed Yoshida to a five-year, $90 million contract ahead of the 2023 season. He went on to hit .289 with 15 home runs, 72 RBI, a .783 OPS and a 1.4 WAR, finishing sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in the process.

Yoshida posted a -1.1 defensive WAR as a rookie, however, as well as -4 defensive runs saved. As a result, Cora put Yoshida at designated hitter to start the 2024 season, and his subpar defense wound up costing him starts once Rob Refsnyder and Tyler O'Neill returned from the injured list.

Fans were baffled when Yoshida made just two starts in a nine-game span in April, and just when it seemed like he was getting comfortable in the lineup again, he got hurt.

Yoshida is already eligible to return to the active roster, but all signs point towards him missing even more time, even without surgery.

While the Red Sox have enough bats in the lineup and options in the outfield to get by without him, the start of 2024 surely has not gone as planned for Yoshida.

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