Red Sox place Masataka Yoshida and Justin Slaten on the injured list, recall Mickey Gasper and Raymond Burgos

The Boston Red Sox made two injured-list moves ahead of their afternoon game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, sidelining a pair of regular contributors and prompting additional depth calls from Triple-A Worcester. Designated hitter Masataka Yoshida was sent to the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. Right-handed reliever Justin Slaten was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, retroactive to August 13.

To keep the active roster at workable levels, the Red Sox recalled Mickey Gasper, a catcher/first baseman, along with left-hander Raymond Burgos from Worcester. The moves are common in late-season roster management, especially when both a position player and a bullpen arm are removed around the same time.

The injury designations change the immediate calculus for Boston’s lineup and pitching usage. With Yoshida out, the club will need to cover his daily at-bats and run a different mix of designated-hitter and bench roles. In many cases, that shifts not only who starts, but also how the team uses pinch-hit options and late-inning matchups.

Slaten’s placement on the 15-day IL is also a bullpen management issue. A right elbow inflammation designation typically carries a longer ramp back to full workload, and even when a pitcher is available in short bursts later, teams often limit intensity on a cautious timetable. In practical terms for Boston, it increases the demand on the remaining setup arms and middle relievers to cover more innings as the calendar turns.

The Red Sox’s roster adjustments come at a point when depth can quickly become a deciding factor, particularly if more players are nursing nagging issues. While today’s moves are specific to Yoshida and Slaten, Boston still has to account for how often recalled players are asked to step in for multi-game spans rather than single spot duties.

For Yoshida, the left hamstring strain creates a direct question of timing: how quickly the muscle responds and whether he can regain full mobility and explosiveness for batting and base running. For Slaten, the focus is on whether the elbow inflammation settles enough to allow bullpen work and progress toward return without setbacks.

What to watch next is how Boston deploys its bench and how quickly the new bullpen mix stabilizes. Gasper and Burgos are expected to factor into everyday availability to absorb innings and plate appearances as Boston works through the near-term schedule, while the injured list statuses establish the framework for when each player can realistically begin a return process.