Key Piece of Boston Red Sox Roster Confirms He Had Surgical Procedure This Offseason
Boston Red Sox' outfielder Masataka Yoshida underwent offseason surgery on his jaw, according to a confirmed report from Rob Bradford of WEEI.
Just talked to Yoshida and he confirmed he had procedure done right after the season. Feels a lot better. Said didn’t discomfort necessarily impact baseball but just everyday life due to use of jaw.
Here's to hoping increased comfort will help Yoshida in 2024. He's a vital part of the Red Sox roster and will be a major factor in the team's success if they are to out perform generally low expectations this year.
The 30-year-old is heading into his second year with the Red Sox after he signed a five-year deal before the 2023 season. Last year, he hit .289 with 15 homers and 72 RBI. He slumped in the second half of the season but given his familiarity now with the league and his bat-to-ball skills, it's reasonable to expect that he could be a candidate for 20 homers and 80-85 RBI.
Though manager Alex Cora hasn't tipped his hand with regards to lineup construction this year, it's clear that Yoshida will be somewhere within the middle of the Red Sox order. Trevor Story, Triston Casas, Yoshida and Rafael Devers figure to be the ones that will provide punch.
The Red Sox are coming off a last-place finish in 2023, which was their third last-place finish in the last four years. They last made the playoffs in 2021 and last won a World Series back in the 2018 season.
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