{"id":48004,"date":"2025-03-29T10:16:59","date_gmt":"2025-03-29T10:16:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=48004"},"modified":"2025-03-29T10:16:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-29T10:16:59","slug":"rafael-devers-struggling-to-adjust-as-full-time-dh-for-red-sox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=48004","title":{"rendered":"Rafael Devers struggling to adjust as full-time DH for Red Sox"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"Rafael<\/p>\n

ARLINGTON, Texas \u2014 After a difficult spring training for Rafael Devers, the start of the season hasn\u2019t offered much of a reprieve.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Devers has gone 0-for-8 with seven strikeouts, including a key strikeout Friday with the bases loaded in the seventh inning as the Boston Red Sox fell 4-1 to the Texas Rangers.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been only two games, but after a spring training in which Devers logged just 15 plate appearances while building back his swing following an offseason of rehabbing his shoulders, it\u2019s been hard not to notice how much he has struggled offensively.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that I haven\u2019t done my job and I haven\u2019t done what I\u2019m supposed to do,\u201d Devers said through interpreter Carlos Villoria-Ben\u00edtez. \u201cBut I know that everything will change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Devers finished last season on the injured list, dealing with inflammation in both shoulders. Over his final four games, he struck out 11 times. Adding that to his rough start this season, Devers has gone 1-for-23 with 18 strikeouts in his last six regular-season games.<\/p>\n

Manager Alex Cora wouldn\u2019t use Devers\u2019 lack of spring training at-bats as an excuse, noting that Wilyer Abreu had limited game action in spring training and has gone 5-for-7 with two walks, hitting two home runs in Thursday\u2018s opener.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s just one of those that (Devers is) not catching up with the fastball, and he\u2019s going to keep working. That\u2019s what he\u2019s been doing the whole time, and he\u2019ll be OK,\u201d Cora said.<\/p>\n

While Devers is still finding his rhythm at the plate after a truncated spring, he\u2019s also finding his routine as a full-time designated hitter. Cora had said Devers would serve as DH, but until Friday, there had been no indication that Devers would only<\/em> DH.<\/p>\n

Before the game, Cora was asked if Devers would play third base when Alex Bregman needed a day off.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Raffy is going to DH,\u201d Cora said, noting Romy Gonz\u00e1lez would serve as the backup third baseman.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a conversation, we talked about it,\u201d Cora said of Devers. \u201cHe\u2019s DHing. He\u2019s the DH of the Boston Red Sox.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing is we don\u2019t want him to overthink it. Don\u2019t get caught up in the whole thing. He\u2019ll be OK.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Rafael Devers reacts after striking out last season against the Kansas City Royals. (Brian Fluharty \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Perhaps it\u2019s an attempt to limit distractions for Devers as he transitions to DHing regularly, but Devers has continued to take grounders at third base in pregame drills alongside Bregman in what has amounted to a strange situation.<\/p>\n

Because he\u2019s not playing in the field in between at-bats, he\u2019s had to alter the routine he had for the first eight years of his career, when he was playing third regularly.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, we\u2019re in the season. I\u2019m a DH, and I feel like you guys need to change the subject because that is over and I\u2019m the DH,\u201d he said after the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have my routine,\u201d he said. \u201cI try to stay warm and go warm to the plate. But like I said before, it\u2019s only been two games, and tomorrow I\u2019ll come back here and I\u2019ll try to hit the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Devers appeared in only five spring training games, he took several more at-bats in live batting practice and minor-league games. Cora remains confident Devers will find his rhythm.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of work in the cage, machine work and angle work and all that stuff they do over there,\u201d Cora said. \u201cThis is something that sometimes this happens, and it just happened in two games. We\u2019ve seen it happen before, and at one point he\u2019s going to catch up with one, hopefully to left-center. I always feel like, as a hitter, that\u2019s where your strength is, especially him. The big part of the field comes into play, and he can do what he can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Devers\u2019 struggles at the plate were matched by a lackluster start from Tanner Houck in his season debut.<\/p>\n

Houck allowed four runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out two. He threw 89 pitches, 55 for strikes, and induced just eight swings-and-misses.<\/p>\n

Houck gave up two solo homers to Jonah Heim. He gave up just 11 homers in 30 starts last season.<\/p>\n

Houck ran into trouble in the sixth, allowing the first two batters to reach, though he was bailed out by center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, who threw out the runner advancing to third. Houck nearly escaped the jam after another out, but a double down the left-field line scored another run. Cora lifted Houck in favor of reliever Greg Weissert, but Weissert allowed another run to score, adding to Houck\u2019s line.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a little rough in the last inning,\u201d Houck said. \u201cA few things to clean up. I think delivery-wise in spring training, I was too linear. I\u2019m still battling it here and there; it\u2019s not an overnight fix for the feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

One bright spot was Abreu\u2019s continued torrid streak at the plate. After reaching safely in seven straight plate appearances, he finally recorded an out in the ninth with a popup in foul territory.<\/p>\n

Per Elias, his streak tied Christian V\u00e1zquez (2017) and Ted Cox (1977) for reaching base safely in the most consecutive plate appearances to start a season for the Red Sox.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“I know that I haven’t done my job and I haven’t done what I’m supposed to do,” Devers said. “But I know that everything will change.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":48010,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[73],"class_list":["post-48004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","tag-boston-red-sox"],"yoast_head":"\nRafael Devers struggling to adjust as full-time DH for Red Sox - News 365<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=48004\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rafael Devers struggling to adjust as full-time DH for Red Sox - News 365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\""I know that I haven't done my job and I haven't done what I'm supposed to do," Devers said. 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