The Boston Red Sox’s hopes of making a late-season playoff push largely hinge on the performance of their star hitter, Rafael Devers. However, Devers has been dealing with shoulder pain for much of the season, which raises concerns about his ability to lead the team down the stretch.
Devers, the Red Sox’s All-Star third baseman, has battled injuries to both shoulders. Early in the season, he missed some games due to a left shoulder injury. Then, in late July, he injured his right shoulder while diving for a ground ball in Colorado. Despite these setbacks, Devers has mostly played through the pain, missing only two of Boston’s next 107 games. However, his recent absence from a game against the Toronto Blue Jays, during a rough patch where the Red Sox lost five games in four days, drew attention.
Manager Alex Cora acknowledged that Devers’ absence might extend beyond a single game and that the team will need to keep a close eye on his condition for the rest of the season. Cora explained that while Devers isn’t getting worse, he isn’t improving either, and the team needs to manage his workload carefully.
Since mid-August, Devers’ performance at the plate has noticeably declined, with his batting average dropping and his strikeout rate rising. Despite this dip in form, Devers remains crucial to Boston’s playoff hopes, and the team is hopeful that a few days of rest will help him recover enough to contribute effectively in the final stretch of the season. Devers was again absent from the lineup on Wednesday, with Romy González filling in at third base, as the team waits to see if Devers can return on Thursday.
