BALTIMORE — Manager Alex Cora said that Red Sox DH Masataka Yoshida’s offensive struggles are not related to physical issues following his major offseason shoulder surgery.
Yoshida underwent a right shoulder labral repair last October and his rehab went slower than expected, causing him to spend the first 93 games this season on the injured list.
“I think it’s mechanics,” Cora said before Boston’s game against the Orioles on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old is batting just .233 with a .283 on-base percentage, .350 slugging percentage and .633 OPS 31 games (113 plate appearances). He has just two homers and six doubles. One of his home runs came against a position player.
He posted a .285/.343/.433/.775 line in 1,001 plate appearances during 2023-24, his first two years in the majors.
Cora said Yoshida has been “grinding” with hitting coach Pete Fatse the past few weeks.
“Just timing, load, everything,” Cora said. “But the cool thing about him is it’s a good at-bat still. We trust the guy that he’s gonna put together a good at-bat and we’re gonna keep playing him.”
Yoshida works counts and puts the ball in play with an above-average 19.5% whiff percentage and 16.8% strikeout percentage. But he’s not walking much, which is a concern. He has a 4.4% walk percentage, walking just five times in his 113 plate appearances.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.