Red Sox’ $90MM ‘Minor Leaguer’ Has Yet Another Set Back..
oston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida, who is beginning the season on the injured list as he recovers from shoulder surgery, was sent back to Boston to get treatment on a sore back, according to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe.
The club announced last Saturday that Yoshida, who signed a five-year, $90 million contract with Boston in 2022, would begin this season in Triple-A Worcester to “continue to build out his throwing program.”
With this delay, there’s no timeline yet for when Yoshida might head to Triple-A for a rehab stint. The Red Sox are not in a hurry to make that decision, and they are likely to postpone it for as long as possible, given that the player doesn’t fit well on the Major League team. Once he does start a rehab assignment, though, the clock starts —he’ll have a maximum of 20 days to get ready.
“He’s going to continue his rehab for his arm in Boston and whenever he’s ready to play [in Worcester], he will,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said yesterday.
The question remains if after 20 days Yoshida’s throwing arm will be game ready and there still won’t be a fit for him on the team. Could he ask for a trade or an outright release? Any team that claims him on waivers would be responsible for the $55.8 million remaining salary over the next three years (2025–2027).
The Red Sox can’t officially option Yoshida to the minor leagues at the conclusion of his 20-day rehab stint unless he agrees to it.
Visions of Past Red Sox Busts
While hardly identical, Yoshida’s career arc is trending perilously close to that of infamous Red Sox outfielder Rusney Castillo, who signed a $72.5 million contract in 2014 that produced little return.
Castillo appeared in just 99 major league games over parts of three seasons, hitting a modest .262 with seven home runs and 35 RBIs. After 2016, he became a permanent fixture at Triple-A Pawtucket, largely due to the financial structure of his deal counting against the luxury tax had he been promoted.
Yoshida has played parts of two seasons with Boston, appearing in 136 games since signing with Boston ahead of the 2023 season.
oston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida, who is beginning the season on the injured list as he recovers from shoulder surgery, was sent back to Boston to get treatment on a sore back, according to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe.
The club announced last Saturday that Yoshida, who signed a five-year, $90 million contract with Boston in 2022, would begin this season in Triple-A Worcester to “continue to build out his throwing program.”
With this delay, there’s no timeline yet for when Yoshida might head to Triple-A for a rehab stint. The Red Sox are not in a hurry to make that decision, and they are likely to postpone it for as long as possible, given that the player doesn’t fit well on the Major League team. Once he does start a rehab assignment, though, the clock starts —he’ll have a maximum of 20 days to get ready.
“He’s going to continue his rehab for his arm in Boston and whenever he’s ready to play [in Worcester], he will,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said yesterday.
The question remains if after 20 days Yoshida’s throwing arm will be game ready and there still won’t be a fit for him on the team. Could he ask for a trade or an outright release? Any team that claims him on waivers would be responsible for the $55.8 million remaining salary over the next three years (2025–2027).
The Red Sox can’t officially option Yoshida to the minor leagues at the conclusion of his 20-day rehab stint unless he agrees to it.
Visions of Past Red Sox Busts
While hardly identical, Yoshida’s career arc is trending perilously close to that of infamous Red Sox outfielder Rusney Castillo, who signed a $72.5 million contract in 2014 that produced little return.
Castillo appeared in just 99 major league games over parts of three seasons, hitting a modest .262 with seven home runs and 35 RBIs. After 2016, he became a permanent fixture at Triple-A Pawtucket, largely due to the financial structure of his deal counting against the luxury tax had he been promoted.
Yoshida has played parts of two seasons with Boston, appearing in 136 games since signing with Boston ahead of the 2023 season.
Michael Kopech Has Suffered Multiple Setbacks as He Attempts Return to Dodgers..
Michael Kopech is starting the 2025 season on the injured list as he recovers from right shoulder impingement he suffered in spring training while trying to ramp up. The right-handed reliever also battled a stomach virus that sidelined him earlier this month.
Kopech, who joined the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline last season, struggled with forearm and elbow pain in the fall. He pitched 24 innings in the regular season with Los Angeles and nine through the Dodgers’ World Series run.
“It was just a little bit tougher to bounce back than it should have been,” Kopech said to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
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In addition to Kopech, reliever Evan Phillips is also opening the season on IL, which leaves the Los Angeles Dodgers with a depleted bullpen.
Kopech told Plunkett he initially felt healthy in spring training. However, he believes his shoulder and forearm pain from last season “kind of crept up to the shoulder.”
“I was feeling good but I don’t think (the shoulder) was ready,” Kopech said to Plunkett.
Kopech did not pitch during spring training, as the Dodgers organization opted to stop his pitching and replace it with “some strengthening stuff.”
Kopech didn’t travel to Japan and won’t be back for a couple weeks, but the 28-year-old does not think the pain is too concerning.
“It’s back to feeling like an actual throwing arm again, so it’s no big deal,” Kopech said to Plunkett. “Not anything that’s like an actual injury, just little bumps and bruises here and there.”
When he is healthy, Kopech will be a strong addition to the Los Angeles bullpen. In last year’s postseason, the 2014 first-round draft pick logged a 3.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts in nine innings.
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Kopech is coming off a career-best season, posting a 3.46 ERA across the 2024 season. After he joined the Dodgers, the Texas native’s ERA dropped to a career-best 1.13.
Even without Kopech and Phillips, the Dodgers have a reliable bullpen, featuring All-Stars Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, and Blake Treinen, as well as key pieces such as Alex Vesia, Ben Casparius, and Anthony Banda. Therefore, the Dodgers do not need to rush Kopech back.
There is currently no timeline for when Kopech will be reinstated to the 26-man roster.
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