The Red Sox have too many lineup options as they approach Opening Day.
Yes, it’s a first-world problem, but a problem nevertheless.
Boston made it a priority to build lineup depth this offseason, looking to adequately protect against injuries after having them derail large portions of the last several seasons. Alex Bregman, Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer are newcomers who will make major contributions this season, but that means some will be left out as preparations begin for the season opener on March 27 against the Texas Rangers.
Masataka Yoshida, specifically.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora essentially admitted as much when speaking with reporters on Saturday. Yoshida, despite having been hitting in games all month, is in consideration to begin the season on the injured list, according to Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald.
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Yoshida is still on a throwing program after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, which means he can’t contribute in the outfield. The Red Sox have used him as a designated hitter this spring, but due to the emergence of those names we mentioned earlier, there likely won’t be many at-bats at that spot during the regular season.
Bregman is expected to take over at third base, which leaves the second base job open for someone like Campbell, David Hamilton or Vaughn Grissom to start at second base. Rafael Devers, the previous primary third baseman, now looks as though he’s changed his stance and will transition to a full-time designated hitter role.
Trevor Story and Triston Casas will fill out the other infield spots, while Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Rob Refsnyder and perhaps even Anthony will be relied upon to round out the outfield group early in the season.
Yoshida just isn’t in a good spot relative to Boston, which is why we might not see him in a meaningful game for a while.
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