The superstar hasn't been his usual self in August...
Aug 25, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) runs the bases after hitting a three run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Whatever hopes the Boston Red Sox have of making a last-second playoff push rest largely on the shoulders of their best hitter, and most recognizable superstar.
So it's never great to hear that both of those shoulders have been ailing the star slugger.
For much of the season, Red Sox All-Star third baseman Rafael Devers has been dealing with pain in both shoulders. In addition to missing a few games early in the season with a tweaked left shoulder, Devers hurt his right shoulder diving for a ground ball in Colorado near the end of July.
All along, Devers had been playing through the pain, missing just two of Boston's next 107 games. But when he sat out on Tuesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, amid a string of five Red Sox losses suffered in four days, Devers' absence raised some eyebrows.
Manager Alex Cora seemed to indicate postgame that Devers' absence may not be limited to one game. It appears, as expected, that the Red Sox will have to continue to monitor his ailments the rest of the season.
"He’s not getting worse but he’s not getting any better," Cora said, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. "I talked to him before Game 2 [of the doubleheader] and said, 'Just let me know.' He texted me last night like, ‘It’d be good to get one,’ so we’ll see. If he needs two or three, we’ll do it. We have to take care of him. And I think it’s smart to do."
Though Devers has played through the pain all season, his performance at the plate has dipped noticeably beginning in mid-August.
Since Aug. 9, when the Red Sox opened their three-game home series against the Houston Astros, Devers is slashing .222/.300/.429 with a 30% strikeout rate. His season OPS has dipped from .966 to .940 in that 16-game span.
Obviously, a limited Devers is still better than no Devers in the lineup at all. But for Boston to have any chance of erasing their four-game deficit in the American League wild-card hunt, they'll need the superstar that showed up for much of the spring and summer.
Devers is once again out of the lineup on Wednesday, with utility man Romy González playing his second game in a row at third base. If Devers can return on Thursday, Cora and his teammates certainly will hope the extra days off had a positive impact on the pain he's been feeling.
Note: This story has been updated to reflect Devers' absence from the Red Sox lineup on Wednesday
