Rafael Devers has been playing well as the Red Sox’s designated hitter lately, despite a rough start to the season that included production struggles and some controversy over a possible move to the infield. But now it appears the Dominican slugger may actually be warming up to the idea — he was recently spotted taking reps on defense.
In a video shared by NESN, Devers was seen fielding grounders at shortstop — an unexpected sight considering previous talk had centered around the possibility of him playing first base. That speculation had previously triggered a sharp response from Devers, who was resistant to any such move.
There’s been no official word on whether Devers could actually appear at shortstop in a game, but with Boston’s infield issues mounting, internal adjustments may soon be on the table.
Red Sox fans react to video of Devers taking grounders
The clip of Devers fielding ground balls sparked a wide range of reactions from Red Sox fans and media members. Some speculated it could signal a move to first base rather than shortstop, while others dismissed it as meaningless — expecting Devers to remain at DH.
“Yeah. The highest paid guy, who can help the team by not being a crybaby and playing the field, is goofing off at SS. So funny, NESN,” one fan commented online.
“A lineup that includes Devers at 1B, Yoshida at DH, Bregman at 3B, Mayer at SS, and a rotating outfield of Anthony, Duran, Rafaela and Abreu — with Trevor Story as a utility/pinch runner — is still very much on the table for August and September,” wrote on X, Matthew Gross of SB Nation’s Over the Monster.
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Cora unaware of Devers’ shortstop reps
According to a report from Marcos Grunfeld, Red Sox manager Alex Cora had no idea Devers was working out at shortstop. In fact, Cora apparently hadn’t signed off on the session at all.
“Manager Alex Cora said he ‘has no idea’ what that was about before heading to the field to supervise his team’s practice,” Grunfeld wrote for El Emergente.
