The Red Sox got a mixed bag of MRI results, but the biggest blow landed on Masataka Yoshida.
Boston had been waiting on updates for Yoshida, Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten after all three recently went in for imaging, and the news broke in different directions. Yoshida’s hamstring strain, according to multiple sources including Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, has been labeled “significant,” and interim manager Chad Tracy said the outfielder will be out until close to the end of the regular season “at least.”
That’s a brutal turn for a hitter who had started to lock in over the last month. Yoshida was hitting .296/.360/.469 over his last 30 games, and his season line sits at .274/.347/.399 with 33 strikeouts, 28 walks, 16 doubles, a triple and five home runs in 87 games.
The injury also forces Boston to lean harder on Jarren Duran, at least for now. Duran has had a rough year at the plate, posting a .203/.262/.353 line with 142 strikeouts in 117 games. Roman Anthony is set to begin a rehab assignment on August 18 after spending three months on the injured list with a hand injury, so help may be on the way - just not immediately.
There was better news on the pitching side. Whitlock and Slaten, both dealing with elbow inflammation, had MRIs that showed no structural damage. That matters, because elbow issues can quickly turn ominous if they involve the UCL or flexor tendon.
Even so, both relievers remain shut down from throwing while they rest up, and Tracy didn’t give a timetable for either return. For a bullpen already stretched thin in the middle of a playoff race, that’s still a problem, even if the worst-case outcome was avoided.
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Red Sox Suddenly Face A Franklin Arias Decision With Bigger Stakes
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The question is whether the Red Sox will push him onto the 40-man roster before the season ends, a move that would protect him but also come with complications if the calendar turns into an uncertain one. Bostons approach here has not been made clear, and the decision could end up reflecting how aggressively the club wants to balance immediate roster flexibility against the long view with one of its more watched young players. [Read more 🡒]