Alex Cora had a strong start to the season with the Boston Red Sox in a solid victory where Rafael Devers was on the field but unfortunately didn’t contribute to any of the five runs the team scored against the Rangers.
In recent comments for NESN before the second game of the series between the Red Sox and Rangers, Cora revealed that Devers will not play third base this season. “Rafael is DH… he’s our DH,” he said in response to a reporter pressing him on whether Devers would be available for the infield on occasion.
Cora made his stance as clear as possible, stating, “Rafy… we had a conversation, we talked about it, he’s DH… he’s the DH of the Boston Red Sox.” With that statement, he shut down speculation about whether Devers might play in the infield to help the team if needed.
Devers was fairly unnoticed during the Red Sox’s opening game of the season, striking out three times in four at-bats. Luckily, his teammates like Wilyer Abreu stepped up, contributing three hits, four RBIs, and two home runs in the team’s victory over the Rangers.
Rafael Devers #11 of the Boston Red Sox poses for a portrait during photo day at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 18, 2025 in Fort Myers, Florida.
Rafael Devers Could Have Another Strong Season
In 2024, Rafael Devers was sharp as ever, hitting 28 home runs in 601 plate appearances, finishing with a .272 batting average. You could say last year was quite good for him. It marked his fourth consecutive season with 600+ plate appearances and 120+ hits. However, it was also his career-high season for strikeouts, with a total of 147—the highest figure of his career.
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Projections for 2025 look promising. According to Baseball Reference, he’s expected to record over 566 plate appearances, alongside 130+ hits and 26+ home runs. This positions him well to play a pivotal role in helping the Red Sox aim for a deep run, possibly reaching the MLB playoffs.
