Manager Alex Cora said Friday that Yoshida (thumb) is expected to take batting practice Saturday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
Yoshida began hitting off a tee Friday and will take his next step toward returning from a strained left thumb. A timetable for return has yet to be established, but Yoshida seems to be well on his way to reinstatement.
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Red Sox's Tyler O'Neill: Expects to be back when eligible
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O'Neill (knee) said Friday that he expects to be activated from the 10-day injured list when first eligible Wednesday, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.
O'Neill was given a cortisone injection to combat inflammation in his right knee and said the shot has helped a lot. It would appear he's likely to skip a rehab assignment and return when his 10 days are up. O'Neill has just a .545 OPS and 43.9 percent strikeout in May after collecting a 1.127 OPS and 24.4 percent strikeout rate in April.
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Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida: Hitting off tee
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Yoshida (thumb) began swinging off a tee Thursday, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.
As noted Wednesday, manager Alex Cora said Yoshida will wear a guard on the thumb to protect the area of the injury. His return from the injured list is dependent on how Yoshida feels as he progresses.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Done for season after procedure
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Whitlock (elbow) underwent an internal bracing procedure Thursday and will not pitch again in 2024, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.
Whitlock avoided Tommy John reconstruction surgery and instead had an internal bracing procedure on his right elbow UCL. The surgery was performed by Dr. Jeffrey Dugas at the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedics Center in Birmingham, Ala. The right-hander is expected to make a full recovery, which could take between 10 and 12 months. A return at some point during the 2025 season is expected. Whitlock's 2024 season ended after four starts; he had a 1.96 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 18.1 innings.
Red Sox's Nick Pivetta: Fans nine batters in defeat
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Pivetta (2-4) took the loss against Detroit on Thursday, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out nine batters over 5.1 innings.
Pivetta's nine punchouts were his most since his season debut March 29, and the outing was a nice bounce-back from his five-run, 3.1-inning start his previous time on the mound. However, Boston's offense couldn't generate any runs, saddling the right-hander with his fourth loss. Pivetta has had a couple poor starts this season, but he's allowed two or fewer earned runs in five of his seven appearances.
Red Sox's Tyler O'Neill: IL stint expected to be brief
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Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Thursday that he's optimistic O'Neill's (knee) stay on the 10-day injured list will be a short one, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.
O'Neill landed on the IL on Wednesday with right knee inflammation, an injury that he had been playing with for a while. While Cora didn't exactly commit to O'Neill requiring just the minimum 10-day absence, it does not appear he will be out long. He's eligible for activation June 5. Rob Refsnyder appears most likely to soak up the bulk of the playing time at designated hitter while O'Neill is out, although the Red Sox have Connor Wong at DH and Reese McGuire at catcher Thursday versus the Tigers.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Undergoing surgery Thursday
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Whitlock (elbow) will undergo internal brace surgery Thursday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.
The Red Sox haven't laid out an official timeline for Whitlock's return, but the 27-year-old righty has expressed optimism that he will be able to return for the start of the 2025 season. He will close the book on 2024 with a 1.96 ERA and 1.15 WHIP alongside a 17:7 K:BB through 18.1 innings over four starts.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Not starting Thursday
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Rafaela isn't in Boston's lineup for Thursday's game against Detroit, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.
Rafaela went 0-for-4 during Wednesday's loss to Baltimore, putting an end to his four-game hit streak. He'll take a seat versus Jack Flaherty and the Tigers while Rob Refsnyder starts in the outfield, moving Connor Wong into the DH role and allowing Reese McGuire to start behind the plate.
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Red Sox's Dominic Smith: Sitting down Thursday
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Smith isn't in the Red Sox's lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.
Smith failed to record a hit in 12 plate appearances during Boston's previous series against Baltimore, so he'll get a chance to clear his head Thursday. Garrett Cooper will get the nod at first base and bat sixth.
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Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida: To begin swinging bat
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Yoshida (thumb) is set to begin swinging a bat in the upcoming days, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.
This is the first real sign that Yoshida is working his way back to playing again. He was placed on the injured list May 1 and spent most of the month shut down from baseball activities. When he does begin swinging, Yoshida will wear a hand guard over the injured thumb.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Making adjustments
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The Red Sox advised Rafaela to hold his hands lower in his stance, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports. He went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's loss to Baltimore and is batting .206 with a 25.7 strikeout percentage.
The goal of the hands adjustment is to cut down on all the movement needed to catch up to fastballs. "Be on time," Boston manager Alex Cora said. "We've been talking about it, showing him examples. It happens that we're here, too, [in Baltimore] and can use [the Orioles] as an example of how short they are to the ball and how they use their hands." Rafaela's been inconsistent overall but has hit better recently, going 9-for-33 (.273) over the last nine games while batting safely in seven of those contests.
Red Sox's Kutter Crawford: Stung by rough second inning
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Crawford (2-4) took the loss against Baltimore on Wednesday, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks while striking out five batters over six innings.
Crawford was excellent outside of the second inning -- he gave up five runs on three hits, a walk and a hit batter in that frame, with the big blow being a grand slam by Gunnar Henderson. The right-hander did hold the Orioles scoreless on one hit the rest of the way, but the damage was too much to overcome against Baltimore starter Corbin Burnes. Crawford has surrendered 11 runs over 10.1 innings across his past two starts, pushing his season ERA to 3.29. It sat at 2.17 prior to the two-game downturn.
Valdez was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.
The 25-year-old joined the Red Sox as a member of the taxi squad due to Tyler O'Neill (knee) being banged up and is now on the 26-man roster with O'Neill headed to the injured list. Valdez has a .453 OPS in 98 plate appearances with Boston this season and should serve as a reserve infielder while up with the big club.
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Red Sox's Tyler O'Neill: Lands on injured list
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The Red Sox placed O'Neill on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to right knee inflammation, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.
O'Neill has been dealing with knee problems since leaving Sunday's game against the Brewers, and he traveled back to Boston on Tuesday to undergo imaging. The results of his tests seem to have only revealed inflammation, but his injury is still serious enough to warrant a trip to the injured list. The outfielder's move to the IL is retroactive to Sunday, so he will be eligible to return beginning June 5. Until then, Enmanuel Valdez will come up from the minors to fill the open roster spot.
