Yoshida’s a big fan of Phillies’ Harper
PHILADELPHIA — Not every baseball player is necessarily an avid baseball fan. Plenty put that aside once the game becomes how they earn a living.
Masataka Yoshida has never felt that way. Bryce Harper has long been his favorite player, to a point that he named his dog “Harper” and incorporated the Phillies star’s initials as part of his Instagram handle.
Yoshida even wore No. 34 during his time with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan, Harper’s number when he played for the Washington Nationals.
So it was a thrill for Yoshida when the left fielder met Harper for the first time on Saturday before the Sox played the Phillies.
“I enjoyed the time with Bryce,” a smiling Yoshida said via a translator.
The players met up in a hallway between the clubhouses at Citizens Bank Park.
Harper presented Yoshida with two autographed bats and an autographed pair of spikes. Harper used one of the bats in the National League Championship Series last season.
“That bat, that’s going to be my treasure,” Yoshida said. “I was a little nervous meeting him for the first time.”
Yoshida is only nine months younger than Harper, but the 29-year-old has long admired how Harper plays. It goes back to when Yoshida was playing in college.
“I felt he’s an obvious superstar,” Yoshida said. “He makes the fans excited . . .
He’s one year older than me but he had already played really well in big league games. That’s the reason I was a fan of him.”
Despite a 15-game hit streak, Yoshida was out of the lineup for Saturday’s 7-4 victory against the Phillies. He will return Sunday.
Paxton to start
James Paxton, who signed with the Red Sox on Dec. 1, 2021, will finally get a chance to pitch for them next weekend.
Manager Alex Cora said the team plans to activate Paxton from the injured list during the two-game series at Atlanta that begins Tuesday.
“Then we’ll decide when he pitches,” Cora said. “He’s going to start at one point during the week.”
Nick Pivetta and Brayan Bello are the scheduled starters against the Braves. The Sox open a three-game series at home Friday against the Cardinals.
Paxton, 34, had Tommy John surgery on April 13, 2021. The Sox signed him believing he could return in the second half of last season.
A series of setbacks prevented that. Paxton then picked up a $4 million player option on his deal.
The lefthander strained his right hamstring in his first spring training start and did not pitch again in camp. He was 2-3 with a 6.23 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in six games for Triple A Worcester.
Paxton faced Buffalo on Friday and allowed two runs on two hits and five walks over five innings and 96 pitches.
“Overall, very pleased with how he threw the ball,” Cora said.
Paxton was 1-1 with a 6.65 ERA in six major league starts from 2020-21 with the Yankees (five) and Mariners (one). He was 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA in 29 starts for the Yankees in 2019.
Could the Sox go to the six-man rotation?
“If we want to, yeah,” Cora said. “We’ll see.”
It’s more likely the Sox drop a starter into the bullpen to see what Paxton can give them.
Littell in bullpen
The Sox added righthanded reliever Zack Littell to the roster Saturday and optioned righty Kaleb Ort to Worcester.
Littell was acquired in a cash deal with Texas on Friday after using an “upward mobility” clause in his minor league contract. It required the Rangers to promote or trade Littell if another team was willing to put him on the major league roster.
The 27-year-old pitched well in nine Triple A games this season. Littell was a key bullpen contributor with the Giants in 2021 but struggled last season, allowing 25 earned runs on 48 hits over 44‚ innings.
“Good fastball, good split, good slider,” Cora said. “He’s been throwing the ball well. We like his repertoire . . . he’s throwing a lot of strikes right now.”
Outfielder Adam Duvall (wrist) was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room for Littell on the 40-man roster.
Turner’s an iron man
Justin Turner leads the majors with 35 games played, a function of the Sox being the only team to have played 35 times. “No days off,” the 37-year-old DH/first baseman said … Here’s a strange one: The Red Sox had two triples in their first 46 plate appearances this season and haven’t had another in the more than 1,300 since … Sox relievers have allowed two earned runs over 14 innings in the last four games.