Red Sox Reveal When Masataka Yoshida's First Start Will 'Likely' Come
Red Sox Reveal When Masataka Yoshida's First Start Will 'Likely' Come originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Boston Red Sox have five very talented outfielders, but only three outfield spots and a designated hitter spot to work with.
How Alex Cora manages getting Masataka Yoshida, Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu regular at-bats will be something to keep an eye on. On opening day, the lineup has Anthony in left field, Abreu in right field and Rafaela in center field. Jarred Duran is at designated hitter with a left-handed pitcher on the mound.
Considering Duran struggled against lefties last year, his getting the start seems to indicate that the opening day alignment is Cora's preferred quartet in the outfield and at the designated hitter spot. That means Yoshida will be the one looking to find a role and get playing time. Cora revealed when fans should expect Yoshida to start.
According to MassLive's Christopher Smith , Cora said Yoshidida will likely make his first start on Sunday. The Cincinnati Reds are scheduled to start right-handed pitcher Rhett Lowder. Duran seems to have the trust of Cora over Yoshida against left-handers for now, even though both struggled against southpaws last year.
Who will Yoshida play over is the question fans will want answered. If Yoshida is going to get starts on a regular basis, even if it's one in every three games, one of the other four Red Sox stars will need to come off the bench. None of Duran, Anthony, Rafaela or Abreu has given the Red Sox any reason to bench them, but it's the situation the Red Sox are in.