Rafael Devers has been openly upset with the Boston Red Sox since they told him to give up fielding, and the slugger might be about to get his position back.
Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman exited Friday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles after he suffered right quad tightness in the bottom of the fifth inning. Bregman ripped a line drive to left field and took a big turn around first base before deciding to retreat.
After he returned to the first-base bag, Bregman signaled for a timeout. He then called a trainer over and limped off the field with an apparent lower-body injury.
Abraham Toro pinch hit for Bregman later in the game and then took over at first base. Nick Sogard, who started the game at first, moved over to third.
Now, the question is whether that will be the plan going forward.
The extent of Bregman’s injury is not yet known, but it is possible the Gold Glove third baseman will miss time. Should that happen, Devers would be the logical replacement.
Devers played third base for the first eight years of his MLB career. The Red Sox moved him to designated hitter full time after they signed Bregman. While Bregman is a significantly better fielder than Devers, the latter did not want to give up his position and even hinted that he might seek a trade.
The Red Sox eventually got Devers to settle into his role as DH. There was then talk of Devers potentially playing first base after Triston Casas suffered a season-ending injury earlier this month. Devers publicly ripped Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow for even discussing the idea with the three-time All-Star.
Depending on what happens with Bregman, Breslow and Red Sox manager Alex Cora may now have to go back to Devers and ask him to temporarily return to third base. Given the tension that has existed between all parties in recent months, there is no telling how that conversation might go.
