Rafael Devers Expresses Reluctance to Play First Base

Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers recently informed teammate Triston Casas that he is not open to playing first base following an injury that ended Casas’s season.

The 28-year-old player seems particularly unwilling after the organization transitioned him to DH and suggested he “put his gloves away.”

“I know I’m a ball player, but they can’t expect me to cover every position,” Devers stated through a translator, noting that during spring training, he was told to set aside his gloves.

Devers feels that asking him to switch positions again isn’t a reasonable request.

He seemed quite perturbed at the thought of shifting roles, indicating that it upset him significantly.

Moreover, Devers questioned whether the team’s general manager, Craig Breslow, has issues with him regarding the proposal of moving to first base.

“I don’t know what the problem is,” he remarked. “He knows that changing positions like that isn’t easy.”

Following the loss of Casas to a knee injury last Friday, the Red Sox find themselves in a challenging position.

Devers and the team have had a somewhat complex relationship lately, especially after his move to DH earlier this season.

Initially resistant to the change, he eventually began to accept it, mentioning he has a “great” relationship with many in the clubhouse, though he also hinted that not everyone shares that sentiment.

“I don’t understand some of the GM’s decisions,” he added, reflecting on the unpredictability of player injuries.

Thoughts on how the team should handle their first base situation were on Devers’s mind. “I think they should go out and find another player,” he expressed, questioning why he is being pulled into this dilemma.

Devers signed a 10-year, $313.5 million contract with the Red Sox in 2023, and his current stats show a performance of .255/.379/.455 with six home runs this season.