With a left-hander on the mound, Boston Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida will retreat to the bench on Thursday against the division-rival New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Tyler O'Neill will serve as the DH and will bat cleanup against Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes. O'Neill has hit .167 with an RBI in just six career at-bats against Cortes. However, O'Neill comes in riding high after hitting a walk-off home run to beat the division-rival Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night. He's also hitting .313 (10-for-32) with five homers and nine RBI in nine games in the month of September. Needless to say, O'Neill is attractive for DFS lineups. The contact-based Yoshida is hitting just .200 (17-for-85) with only two of his nine home runs on the year against left-handed pitchers and is hitless in his four career at-bats against Cortes.

Boston Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida recorded three hits with a home run and four RBI in Friday night's win over the hosting division-rival Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. Before hitting an RBI single in the eighth inning on Friday against Baltimore, Yoshida cranked a three-run homer off O's ace Corbin Burnes to right field to extend the Red Sox lead to 8-4 in the fourth frame. In 35 games since the start of July, the left-handed-hitting 31-year-old outfielder is batting a hot .336 (44-for-131) with six homers, 30 RBI, and 21 runs scored as Boston's primary DH against right-handed pitching.

Boston Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida went 4-for-5 and scored two runs in Monday's 9-5 win at the Kansas City Royals. Yoshida had a pair of doubles while snapping out of a five-game hitless stretch after recording multiple hits in four of his previous five games. He is hitting .277/.352/.393 with five homers, 34 RBI, and 29 runs scored in an injury-plagued season limiting him to 63 games. Yoshida's all-around skills make him a solid asset in all formats, and, considering he hit 15 homers and stole eight bases in 2023, his best has yet to come.

Boston Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida had a solid game at the plate in Monday's 14-7 win over the Mariners. Yoshida went 3-for-5 with a single, a double, a two-run home run, and four RBI. The 31-year-old launched a third-inning Logan Gilbert fastball into the center-field seats for his fifth long ball of the season. Yoshida has started to find his power swing in the second half and is now slashing .279/.354/.398 with 24 runs scored and 33 RBI in 226 plate appearances on the season. After missing all of May with a thumb injury, Yoshida has gotten things back on track from a fantasy perspective, which has been helped by the Red Sox playing better baseball lately as a whole.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida ripped a game-winning two RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning during Boston's 9-7 comeback victory over the New York Yankees. Yoshida recorded three RBI in total, raising his season total to 28 on the season. The Japanese lefty, who missed all of May with a thumb injury, has had a stellar July with an .842 OPS and is helping the Red Sox resurgence into the AL playoff picture (5.5 GB of Baltimore in AL East, 1 GB of Kansas City in Wild Card). Fantasy managers are no doubt happy with Yoshida's production and should continue to keep him in their lineups. He'll get another chance to capitalize on his hot July on Saturday when he faces off against Yankees scheduled starter Marcus Stroman.

Boston Red Sox outfielders Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida will head to the bench Saturday night for their tilt against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Veteran Rob Refsnyder will spell Abreu in the outfield, and Tyler O'Neill will DH for Yoshida. Abreu is hitting .260 with eight home runs, 29 RBI, seven stolen bases and 35 runs in 251 plate appearances. Yoshida is hitting .260 with four home runs, 24 RBI, zero stolen bases and 20 runs scored in 194 plate appearances. Both players should return to the starting lineup tomorrow for the series finale.

Boston Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida will retreat to the bench on Friday for the series opener against the visiting Kansas City Royals and left-handed starter Cole Ragans. Tyler O'Neill will serve as the DH and bat third for the BoSox, with veteran Rob Refsnyder starting in right field and batting leadoff. Despite hitting a strong .333 (15-for-45) with two home runs, two doubles and 11 RBI in the last 14 days, Yoshida will hit the bench on Friday against a southpaw. Against lefties in 2024, the Japanese left-handed slugger has gone just 6-for-41 (.146) with two of his four home runs and six strikeouts in 44 plate appearances. Refsnyder will once again be in play as a deep DFS sleeper out of the leadoff spot despite his lack of power. In 83 plate appearances against lefties this year, the 33-year-old has hit .309 (21-for-68) with three of his four long balls.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida had a big game in Thursday's blowout victory versus the Oakland Athletics. Yoshida went 3-for-4 on the evening with a two-run homer and four RBI on the day. Yoshida has really been hitting the ball well of late, with 15 hits over his last 45 at-bats for a pair of homers and 11 RBI. For the season, Yoshida is now hitting .265 with four homers and 24 RBI in 166 at-bats. The 30-year-old missed some time earlier in the season with a left thumb sprain, but returned June 11 and looks to be completely healthy with the way he's swinging the bat of late. After an impressive rookie season in 2023, Yoshida makes for a fine third outfielder or utilityman in deeper mixed leagues.

Boston Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida finished 1-for-4 on the evening, the one hit being a game-tying two-run home run in the ninth inning Friday in a 5-3 extra-inning victory over the New York Yankees in the Bronx. The Red Sox were down to their last strike when Yoshida silenced the New York crowd when he took a low and in sinker on a 3-2 count and golfed it 405 feet into the right field bleachers. Ceddanne Rafaela followed that up with a leadoff two-run home run in the 10th inning to secure the come-from-behind win for the Sox. After an underwhelming first half of the season for Yoshida, with only two home runs and a .246 batting average, the 30-year-old's bat is starting to heat up. In a short sample size in July Yoshida is 6-for-17 with a home run and five RBI. Unfortunately, it isn't enough to warrant picking him up on waivers quite yet, but if he keeps this hot streak up he could be a solid add in deeper leagues, despite not getting many at-bats versus left-handed pitchers.

When asked if outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida (thumb) could be ready for a minor-league rehab assignment when the Boston Red Sox leave for Chicago to play the White Sox later this week for a series that runs Thursday through Sunday, manager Alex Cora said, "Hopefully. Hopefully." Yoshida was able to take live batting practice on the field on Sunday and is getting closer to returning from a left-thumb strain that has kept him out since April 28. Once Yoshida starts his rehab assignment, he might only need several games before the Red Sox reinstate him from the 10-day injured list. Before his injury, Yoshida was serving as Boston's primary DH against right-handed pitching. The 30-year-old Japanese outfielder's strength is his ability to make contact and get on base. Through his first 164 big-league games, he's hit .287/.339/.438 with 17 homers, 83 RBI and eight steals for Boston.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said before Friday's series opener against the visiting Detroit Tigers that outfielder Masataka Yoshida (thumb) is scheduled to take batting practice on Saturday. It'll mark the first time Yoshida has done so since he was placed on the injured list a month ago due to a strained left thumb. If he is able to take batting practice without discomfort, Yoshida expects to ramp up toward a minor-league rehab assignment soon and could return to the Red Sox at some point in June. Even though the 30-year-old left fielder felt like a fantasy bust before he got hurt, Yoshida was batting a healthy .275 with two home runs, 11 RBI, and 12 runs scored through 24 games (80 at-bats) as Boston's primary designated hitter and can chip in across the board when available. With Yoshida on the shelf, veteran sluggers Dominic Smith and Garrett Cooper are platooning for ABs at DH but aren't viable fantasy options.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida (thumb) started hitting off of a tee earlier this week. The 30-year-old avoided surgery on his thumb, but he had been fully shut down from swinging a bat. It is nice to see him starting to show progress in his recovery. Yoshida has not played since April 28 and is likely still weeks away from returning. He was slashing .275/.348/.388 with two home runs, 11 RBI, and 12 runs scored at the time of the injury. It will be interesting to see what the Red Sox do when he returns as their other outfielders have been relatively productive in his absence.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida (thumb) got a third opinion on his left-thumb injury on Thursday and told two Japanese media members that he won't need surgery. Yoshida received good news after being placed on the injured list with a strained left thumb, and avoiding surgery will be huge in terms of a quicker return to Boston's lineup. The 30-year-old is eligible to come off the IL now, but he's not close to a return. We'll give you updates on Yoshida's progress with his injured thumb as he progresses. In the meantime, the contact artist and primary DH for the Red Sox should be stashed in most fantasy formats. At the time of his unfortunate thumb injury, he was hitting a strong .275/.348/.388 with two home runs, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored in 80 at-bats. Rob Refsnyder will likely be the biggest beneficiary for Boston until Yoshida is able to return.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida (thumb) will get a second opinion on his injured left thumb, according to manager Alex Cora. Yoshida strained his left thumb last Sunday against the Chicago Cubs, and the club isn't ruling out surgery. There's no clear timetable for when the 30-year-old left-handed hitter will be able to return, but obviously he'll be facing an extended absence if he's forced to go under the knife. For now, fantasy managers must stash Yoshida in an IL spot until we know more. Before the injury, he was slashing .275/.348/.388 with two home runs and 11 RBI over 89 plate appearances. In the short term, Garrett Cooper, Bobby Dalbec and Dominic Smith could all see time as the team's designated hitter.

The Boston Red Sox's medical staff is still gathering information on outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida's (hand) injury, and surgery isn't being ruled out. Yoshida jammed his left thumb in Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs and landed on the injured list on Wednesday with a left-thumb sprain. If surgery is needed, he'll obviously need to miss extended time, but a specific timetable probably won't be known until after he goes under the knife. Until Yoshida is able to return, the newly acquired Garrett Cooper figures to serve as Boston's primary designated hitter. The 30-year-old Tanaka continues to make plenty of contact and is currently hitting .275 (22-for-80) with a nice .348 on-base percentage, but he only has two home runs and has driven in 11.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida (hand) is going on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday. Yoshida underwent an MRI on his left hand after jamming it in Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs, and apparently the results were serious enough to require giving him at least 10 days off. The Japanese left-handed slugger hasn't shown much power in his season plus of action in the big leagues, but he makes consistent contact as Boston's primary designated hitter. Before his injury, he was hitting .275/.348/.388 with two home runs, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored. Recently signed Garrett Cooper (wrist) and Bobby Dalbec figure to be the biggest beneficiaries of Yoshida's injury as possible replacements at DH for Boston moving forward.

Boston Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida (hand), who is out of the lineup on Tuesday against the visiting San Francisco Giants, is going for an MRI exam on his injured left hand on Wednesday. Yoshida is active on Tuesday but is unlikely to play. The 30-year-old jammed his hand in the game on Sunday against the Chicago Cubs and could miss additional time, depending on the results of his MRI. With Yoshida out on Tuesday, Tyler O'Neill is serving as the designated hitter and batting third, while Rob Refsnyder is in left field and hitting fifth against Giants right-hander Logan Webb. Yoshida, who has basically been the team's full-time DH, is hitting a decent .275 (22-for-80) but with only two home runs and 11 RBI to this point through the first month of the season.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida (hand) was removed from Sunday's game in the sixth inning after jamming his hand in his first at-bat of the game. Manager Alex Cora said after the game that the team wasn't sure what the extent of the injury was and X-rays hadn't been taken yet. Yoshida is off to a pretty good start to the year with a .274/.357/.403 slash line, although his two homers and zero steals don't make him much of a roto league option in fantasy. An update on his status should come sometime on Monday.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (knee) has returned to third base on Saturday against the visiting Chicago Cubs, which has allowed outfielder Masataka Yoshida to return to the lineup as the designated hitter against right-hander Ben Brown. Devers is hitting in the two-hole, while Tanaka is batting sixth for the BoSox. Devers missed five games with a knee injury recently but has been hot at the plate since returning, going 7-for-13 with a homer, double, two RBI and three runs scored in three games. He's a must-start anytime he's active. Tanaka, meanwhile, returns to the fold after missing the last four games, although he has appeared as a pinch-hitter. The 30-year-old left-handed hitter has essentially become a DH only for Boston and is hitting .233 (17-for-73) with two homers and 10 RBI to start the year.

Boston Red Sox outfielders Tyler O'Neill and Masataka Yoshida are not in the lineup for the matinee game on Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians. Rob Refsnyder is in left field and is batting third, while Wilyer Abreu is in right field and hitting cleanup against Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie. O'Neill is getting the day off after playing the last two games upon his activation from the injured list. He went 2-for-9 in the last two games with four strikeouts and is now hitting .298 on the year with seven home runs and eight RBI. Yoshida is still considered the team's primary designated hitter, but he's out for the third straight game while the club eases third baseman Rafael Devers back from his knee injury. Devers is expected to be back at the hot corner by Saturday, which means Yoshida should be back as the DH by then as well.