PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- While Masataka Yoshida continues to get regular at-bats in Grapefruit League games for the Red Sox at designated hitter, that will change once the season starts.

Coming off surgery on his right labrum, Yoshida is currently throwing at 100 feet. With Rafael Devers moving to designated hitter, Yoshida needs to play the outfield to occupy a roster spot.

When the Red Sox go to Mexico to play exhibition games on Monday and Tuesday, Yoshida will continue to get at-bats in Fort Myers for a week and then join Triple-A Worcester for a rehab assignment.

The plan is for Yoshida to join the WooSox in Jacksonville, Fla., for a series that takes place April 1-6.

“He's up to 100 feet right now, and we talked about it, we need him to play defense,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

Though the presence of Devers will likely mean fewer at-bats for Yoshida once he is activated, the left-handed hitter likes the idea of playing defense again, something he only did for one inning last season.

Yoshida would be part of an outfield mix that also includes Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Rob Refsnyder, making his fit somewhat unclear.

“If you ask him, there’s a reason he wanted to have surgery, too,” said Cora. “We signed him as an outfielder. Obviously, circumstances have changed here, but I'd be very comfortable when he's healthy, to play him in the outfield.”

Cora likes what he’s seen from Yoshida at the plate, likening it to how he swung the bat in the first half of his rookie season in 2023.

“You can tell that he’s healthy and that the finish is different than the last year-and-a-half,” Cora said. “[The discomfort] was going on for a while. He grinded through it.”

How long will it take Yoshida to complete his throwing program?

“It’s kind of [up] to his tolerance,” Cora said.