News and notes from around Red Sox Nation.
How would the narrative surrounding Masataka Yoshida be different if he’d started the season playing like this and then had the slump, instead of the other way around? Masa has been outstanding for weeks now, and blazing hot over the last seven days in particular. The lineup looks entirely different when he hits like this. (Julian McWilliams, Boston Globe)
Of course, even when he hits well, Yoshida’s defensive liabilities still present roster construction issues. Bad defensive teams can’t really afford to carry a full-time DH like Yoshida, and the Red Sox, who lead the league in unearned runs, are arguably the worst defensive team in all of baseball. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
The fact that the Sox have planned on the defensively excellent Trevor Story to hold down the shortstop position for two season in a row, only to be burned by injuries, isn’t helping things. Unfortunately, the guy the team is counting on to hold down the shortstop position going forward, Marcelo Mayer, is having trouble staying healthy, too. (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
But let’s not get too worried about a guy who has yet to take the field in AAA. For now, let’s just enjoy the scouting reports the organization’s top prospects give each other. (Connor Ryan, Boston.com)
As much as we all love him, we may have to acknowledge that Triston Casas hasn’t exactly been durable throughout his professional career, either. But Casas is healthy and hitting now — when he isn’t earning pitch clock violations, that is. (Gio Rivera, NESN)
Jarren Duran, on the other hand, has been a picture of health. Last night, he did what he’s done plenty of times all season: spark a Red Sox win. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)