FORT MYERS, Fla. — Originally the plan was for Rafael Devers to make his in-game debut last Wednesday. Then that date was pushed back to the following Tuesday.
Now, Devers isn’t expected to take the field until Saturday.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced prior to Tuesday’s game against the Phillies that they’ve pushed Devers back again to give him more time to work on his swing. The team decided he’d be better served getting more at bats on the back fields than he would on the big field in games, especially given that he’ll have a chance to hit against Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler.
“It’s been trending in the right direction, he’s been off a little bit, last week he felt like he wasn’t getting to pitches and all that,” Cora said. “I get the whole thing on the big field, it’s two at bats against big leaguers. He’s actually getting more at bats in the back fields, but he’s getting there.”
Still, you’d be forgiven for wondering if something weird is going on. Is Devers holding out because there’s a chance he could be moved off third base? Is he in any way unwilling to play?
Asked point blank, Cora said “no.”
Devers’ absence from game action this spring stems from the shoulder injuries that plagued him throughout all of last season, Cora explained. The manager said that by the second half he couldn’t catch up to inside fastballs, which was a major reason why he batted just .205 over the last two months. As a result, Devers spent the entire offseason resting and recovering and didn’t pick up a bat until he reported to Fort Myers in January.
“He started swinging here. He didn’t do much in the Dominican, when he got here that’s when he started his progression with his swing, and obviously the reps,” Cora said. “The intent of the offseason was to get his shoulders right, and he did a good job with that, now he’s getting there offensively.”
Recapturing the ability to drive inside pitches, especially to left and center field, has been a key focus for Devers, Cora said.
“I think the whole progress from when he got here in January to where he’s at now, he feels a lot more comfortable on the inside pitch, which is something we saw it last year, he got beat by fastballs after Colorado a lot,” Cora said. “The work he’s put there has been good, and you see it, the way he’s driving the ball to left center is something that he missed and he wasn’t able to do it, and right now he’s in a good spot.”
Devers’ continued absence still leaves several issues unsettled.
While Devers works on the back fields, Alex Bregman has exclusively played third base in games. Cora said the plan is for Bregman to get reps at second base “at some point,” but for now the club’s younger players will continue to get the bulk of the time at that position.
Top prospect Kristian Campbell, who struggled through the first three weeks of camp and had recently begun playing primarily in left field, notably got the start at second base on Tuesday, his first start at home and his first start playing alongside Trevor Story and the rest of the established starters.
Cora said Campbell will get more playing time at second than in the outfield going forward, but that David Hamilton, Vaughn Grissom and Romy Gonzalez will also keep getting reps at the position too.
Cora also said Devers will get some reps at third base too, but the longer he goes without suiting up in the game, the more likely it feels that Bregman will enter the season as the starting third baseman and that Devers could shift into a full-time DH role.
Where Devers lines up in his debut should provide clarity on how the Red Sox infield could look come Opening Day, and what role Bregman will eventually fill. Originally the belief was those answers could have come Tuesday, but now fans will have to wait until at least this weekend.