Masataka Yoshida Couldn’t Wait To Get Back On Field

There’s no such thing as too many good players, especially in Major League Baseball. At the same time, the Boston Red Sox are facing a roster crunch, particularly in the outfield.

Masataka Yoshida spent the first three months of the season on the injured list due to a shoulder injury. He was able to hit, but the inability to throw kept him out of the lineup until Wednesday night.

With his shoulder healed and ready to throw, he was back in the lineup and didn’t skip a beat. Yoshida went 3-4 with two singles and a double.

After the game, Red Sox manager Alex Cora spoke about how much time Yoshida needed to get his timing back.

“Two days,” Cora said.

The manager went on to explain how Yoshida felt that Triple-A pitching wasn’t at the same level as the big leagues, and he felt he was best served by seeing major league pitching straight away.

Yoshida was vindicated immediately, singling in his first at-bat.

The Red Sox went on to beat the Colorado Rockies, 10-2. The win moved them into a tie with the Seattle Mariners for the final American League Wild Card spot.

The Tampa Bay Rays have Taj Bradley on the mound Thursday at Fenway. Yoshida is 2-4 against Bradley in his career.