Boston Red Sox chiefs baseball officer Craig Breslow said on Monday that "as of now," Rafael Devers is still the team's starting third baseman. The Red Sox have been very pleased with the work that Devers has put in this offseason. With that said, the club is still open to making the team better any way it can, so it doesn't mean they won't acquire someone like free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, which could move Devers across the diamond to first base or to more of a full-time designated-hitter role. If the 28-year-old were to shift to first base, it would put Triston Casas firmly on the trade block. Another option for the BoSox is to trade for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. While Devers remained strong offensively for fantasy managers in 2024, his defensive metrics took a hit at the hot corner, and he also dealt with nagging shoulder injuries as a result of diving for balls at third base.
Red Sox Prepared To Keep Rafael Devers At Third Base
After previous reports suggested the Boston Red Sox were considering moving Rafael Devers off third base going into next season, president of baseball operations Craig Breslow feels differently. "Rafael Devers is our third baseman and we are really excited about that," Breslow said this week at the MLB winter meetings. Manager Alex Cora has also confirmed that he hasn't had any talks with Devers about changing positions this offseason. The 28-year-old graded out poor defensively at the hot corner in 2024 and also played through nagging injuries to both of his shoulders. Boston would almost certainly move Devers in 2025 if they were to sign free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, but until that happens, it looks like Devers is staying put. Defensive issues aside, the Dominican third baseman is a three-time All-Star and remained one of the most productive third baseman offensively last year.
Red Sox Haven't Discussed Moving Rafael Devers Off Third Base
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he can "guarantee" he hasn't had any talks with third baseman Rafael Devers this offseason about moving him off the hot corner. There have been talks around the league that the Red Sox could look to acquire St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado or sign free-agent 3B Alex Bregman and then move Devers from third base. Boston could also do so if they elect to trade first baseman Triston Casas this winter, but as of right now, it appears Cora doesn't have any plans for Devers to move from third. The 28-year-old isn't the best defensive third baseman to begin with and he injured his shoulder diving for a ball this past season. If Devers doesn't eventually move to first base, he could become a regular at designated hitter. On the offensive side, Devers struck out more in 2024 but remained productive due to a high barrel rate and plenty of walks.
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (shoulder) was placed on the 10-Day Injured List with left-shoulder inflammation. This will sideline the start corner infielder for the remainder of the 2024 season. The Red Sox promoted infielder Mickey Gasper from Triple-A in a corresponding move. Fantasy managers should expect Nick Sogard and Romy Gonzalez to cover the hot corner during the final week of the season. The 27-year-old will finish the campaign with a strong .272/.354/.516 line, 28 home runs, 83 RBI, and three stolen bases. Under the hood, Devers posted a 52.6% hard-hit and 13.0% barrel rates, which are among the highest marks in the sport. Devers should be expected to be drafted as one of the top third basemen in drafts next spring.
Rafael Devers To Undergo MRI On Saturday, Likely Done For The Season
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (shoulder) will undergo an MRI exam on his right shoulder on Saturday, and when asked if he is OK, manager Alex Cora said, "No, he's not... Probably this is it for him." The skipper said that Devers injured his right shoulder while taking swings in the cages before the contest at Fenway Park against the Minnesota Twins. The 27-year-old went 1-for-4 with a walk and three strikeouts on Friday night and was replaced at third base by Vaughn Grissom in extra innings. Devers has dealt with injuries to both of his shoulders this year, but with Boston looking unlikely to make the playoffs and with just over a week left in the regular season, it appears that Devers' 2024 campaign will come to a close a bit early. If this is indeed it for Devers this year, he'll finish with a .272/.354/.516 slash line with 28 homers and 83 RBI.
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (shoulders) is back in action for Friday's series opener against the Detroit Tigers and right-hander Casey Mize at Comerica Park, serving as the designated hitter and batting cleanup. Rookie Nick Sogard will get another start at third and will hit seventh for the BoSox. Devers has been dealing with issues in both of his shoulders for most of the year and took the last three days off to rest up this week. Now that he's back, fantasy managers will want to get him back in their lineups in redraft leagues against Mize, who will be making his first start in two months due to a hamstring strain. Hopefully, the time off this week can break Devers out of his current slump at the plate. The 27-year-old Dominican has gone 10-for-43 (.233) in his last 11 games, although he does have three home runs and eight RBI in that span.
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (shoulders) remains out of the starting lineup on Thursday for the series finale at Fenway Park against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays. Rookie Nick Sogard will make the start at the hot corner and will bat eighth against Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis. Devers has been battling through issues in both of his shoulders for much of the year and will now miss his third straight game as a result. However, the Red Sox expect him back for Friday's series opener in Detroit against the Tigers, so fantasy managers shouldn't have to wait much longer to get him back. Devers is one of the best hitters in the game, but he has had a down month in August, going 21-for-88 (.239) with four home runs, seven doubles, 11 RBI, 11 walks and 25 strikeouts in 22 games played. Hopefully, the time off this week will get him back on track when he returns this weekend.
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (shoulders) has been playing with discomfort in both of his shoulders for quite a while, and manager Alex Cora decided to give him two days in a row off on Tuesday and Wednesday. The plan is for Devers to return either on Thursday in the series finale at Fenway Park against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays or for Friday's series opener at Comerica Park against the Detroit Tigers. He tweaked his left shoulder swinging in the cage in spring training and then had a hard landing on his right shoulder while diving for a ground ball at Coors Field on July 23. "He's not getting worse but he's not getting any better," said Cora. "If he needs two or three [days off], we'll do it. We have to take care of him. And I think it's smart to do." Fantasy managers will want to get Devers back in their starting lineups when he's active again.
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (shoulders) remains out of Boston's starting lineup on Wednesday at Fenway Park against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays. It's Devers' second straight day off while he battles through soreness in both of his shoulders. The 27-year-old All-Star has battled shoulder issues all year, so the Red Sox are giving him a little break this week. For now, fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day and check back to see if he's available for Thursday's series finale against Toronto. Devers is one of the best hitters in the game when healthy and is a must-start when he's active. Romy Gonzalez will replace him again at the hot corner and bat eighth against Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt on Wednesday. Gonzalez has never faced Bassitt and has little upside in DFS lineups in the eight-hole.
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers is getting the day off on Tuesday against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. With Devers starting on the bench, Romy Gonzalez will play third base and hit seventh against Blue Jays rookie right-hander Yariel Rodriguez. It's a good time for Devers to receive a day off after going 8-for-35 (.229) with two homers, a double, five RBI and 10 strikeouts in his last nine games since Aug. 17. Before Tuesday, the 27-year-old had started in each of the team's previous 14 games. Devers is still one of the best hitters in the league, though, and is slashing .290/.369/.571 with a .940 OPS, 28 homers, 80 RBI and 81 runs in 452 at-bats. Hopefully, the day off will help him get back on track at the plate. Gonzalez makes plenty of contact but has provided only four homers, 22 RBI and seven RBI in 2024, making him a low-upside DFS sleeper. UPDATE: Devers is still dealing with soreness in his shoulders, and manager Alex Cora didn't rule out more than one day off. Devers has been battling shoulder issues for months.
Rafael Devers
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