The Boston Red Sox relied heavily on Rafael Devers throughout the season, but his year came to an end on Saturday when he was placed on the injured list before their postponed game against the Minnesota Twins.
Devers had been battling injuries to both shoulders for much of the season. Red Sox manager Alex Cora disclosed in a pregame press conference that Devers had undergone imaging on both shoulders and had been struggling with these issues since the team’s season-opening series in Seattle.
Despite playing hurt, Devers delivered a strong season, hitting .272/.354/.516 with 28 home runs and 83 RBIs over 138 games. However, his condition worsened in the final month of the season after he aggravated the injury diving for a ball against the Colorado Rockies shortly after the All-Star break.
Following that incident, Devers’ performance dipped to .205/.295/.329. When asked if surgery would be necessary, Cora was uncertain, saying, “I have no idea. It got worse on Friday, so we’ll just have to wait… It’s always good to finish the season active, but given how he’s been, the injured list is the right move.”
With their postseason chances essentially gone after Friday’s extra-innings loss to the Twins, the Red Sox saw little reason to continue risking Devers’ health. However, the team deeply valued his contributions.
“Xander Bogaerts helped him a lot with that mentality of pushing through,” Cora said. “Injuries aside, Devers was one of the best hitters in the league for two and a half months, and it was fun to watch. Defensively, he made some improvements too… I’m disappointed because he’s been the heart of our offense, and it’s been tough to watch him struggle in the last month.”
