Masataka Yoshida took batting practice with his teammates on Saturday afternoon, a promising step forward for the Red Sox designated hitter, who hasn’t played since April 28 due to a thumb injury.
“I’m glad I was able to hit pain-free, that was something I accomplished today,” he said in the dugout after (via translator Yutaro Yamaguchi).
With Yoshida no longer feeling pain, Alex Cora expects batting practice will be “every day” moving forward.
Yoshida did, however, caution that he only started hitting three days ago, and “can’t really tell exactly” how long he’s been pain-free. He’s also using some new accessories as he moves closer to game action.
“I was using (a thumb guard), and I put a pad in it, too,” he said.
One of the team’s newest Hall of Famers made some recommendations in that regard.
“Pedroia was very helpful, because he went through something similar,” Cora revealed.
The legendary Red Sox second baseman famously injured his thumb on Opening Day 2013, and played through pain until mid-November, once Boston had won their third World Series of the century. He and Yoshida communicated through the medical trainers, Yamaguchi relayed.
Yoshida is already looking ahead to beginning a rehab assignment, though that won’t happen immediately.
“I think next step will be trying to ramp it up, the intensity, trying to hit in more game-setting situations,” he said.
Yoshida is one of several key bats missing from Boston’s lineup, contributing to their 29-29 record entering Saturday. Triston Casas (ribs) and Tyler O’Neill (right-knee inflammation) are also making progress in their respective returns.
O’Neill went on the 10-day injured list earlier this week, but a cortisone shot is already making a world of difference.
“He feels like the shot did the job, so this is gonna be something short,” Cora said. “He should be with us as soon as the 10 days (are up).”
Casas, however, isn’t swinging yet. He’s officially six weeks out from his injury, but still feeling some tightness when he tries to swing with any kind of weighted object in his arms.
“At the end of the day it’s about how he feels, and that’s what the doctor told him, basically: you’re gonna let us know when you’re gonna be able to swing,” his manager said.
Entering June, the Red Sox are a .500 team and third place in the American League East. That’s no small feat, given how many players they’ve lost for some or all of the season.
“We’ve done a pretty good job surviving the injuries. We know that we’re gonna get healthy. When? We don’t know yet,” Cora said with a smile. “But getting those bats back into our lineup, it’s gonna help us. Guys are gonna go to their spots and they’re gonna be more dangerous. We’re gonna have a deeper lineup, it’s Connor Wong hitting seventh, not third or fifth, and that’s gonna help.
