BOSTON — Manager Alex Cora had right-handed hitter Rob Refsnyder available on his bench as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning. But Cora stuck with Wilyer Abreu against Rangers left-handed reliever Hoby Milner who was holding left-handed hitters to a .179 batting average (5-for-28) and no extra-base hits.

While Yoshida hasn’t exactly been the best player in Major League Baseball since making his debut in the 2023 campaign after signing a five-year, $90 million deal, he’s still an above-average player, posting an above league average 111 OPS+ in over 1,000 plate appearances.

It's been almost a week now since the Boston Red Sox lost first baseman Triston Casas to a serious knee injury, and we're still somehow no closer to figuring out the team's plan at the position. Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro have filled in over the last few days,