Boston Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida didn't have the best start to his 2024 campaign.
While struggling on the field, the Red Sox were using him less and less before a thumb injury landed him on the injured list for all of May and part of June.
However, things have really turned around for Yoshida, as he's been an impactful bat in Boston's lineup over the last month, and it's led to some praise from manager Alex Cora.
“That swing, I was like, ‘This guy, he was pretty good in Japan; he was good for us the first part of the season last year. If this continues, it should be fun,’” Cora said after Yoshida hit a home run in against the Seattle Mariners earlier in the week (via. MassLive).
“I think the swing is getting to the point that he’s hitting the ball hard all the time. He stayed with the breaking ball for the base hit. That was a great swing. You see it in BP now. The exit velocity ... it’s like 100 (mph) all the time and the ball is carrying again. It has that backspin. So whatever he did mechanically, it’s helping. He’s healthy. That’s the most important thing.”
Over his last 26 games, Yoshida has hit .340 with a .906 OPS, three home runs and 21 RBIs.
Cora's assessment is spot on because it's been an absolute joy to watch the 31-year-old play over the last month, and he can be a real difference-maker for this team trying to make a playoff run down the stretch.
