Red Sox plan to activate third baseman Rafael Devers on Tuesday
By Sean Penney
The Boston Red Sox will activate third baseman Rafael Devers from the disabled list as part of their next wave of September call-ups.
September call-ups continue with the next batch for the Boston Red Sox highlighted by third baseman Rafael Devers.
Manager Alex Cora told reporters prior to Monday’s game in Atlanta that the team plans to activate Devers from the 10-day disabled list tomorrow. The 21-year old has been sidelined by a strained hamstring since August 15.
It’s been a bit of a sophomore slump for the promising young third baseman. Devers has hit a disappointing .242/.298/.422 with 15 home runs and 55 RBI in 102 games this season. He’s also committed a major league-leading 21 errors at the hot corner.
The Red Sox have the best lineup in baseball but third base has been an issue. Boston ranks 25th in the majors with a .298 wOBA and 27th with a 83 wRC+ from their third basemen.
While Devers offers the most upside at the position, he’s not a lock to regain an everyday starting role when he returns from injury. At this stage of the season, Cora has to plug in whoever is performing well.
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Right now, that’s Eduardo Nunez. The veteran has hit .278 with a .745 OPS since the All-Star break. He’s certainly not a Gold Glove candidate but Nunez is more reliable with the glove than Devers. Third base is also where the versatile Nunez is more comfortable. As long as he keeps hitting, he’ll find his name in the lineup more often than not at the expense of Devers.
The Red Sox also plan to call-up infielder Brandon Phillips on Tuesday. The 37-year old signed a minor league deal earlier this summer. He was expected to provide insurance at second base at a time when Dustin Pedroia‘s status was up in the air but a slow start in the minors made the club hesitant to bring him up. Boston ended up trading for Ian Kinsler to fill the void at second, leaving no room for Phillips until rosters expanded.
Phillips recovered from his slow start at the plate to hit .304 with a .821 OPS and five home runs in 44 minor league games. He isn’t likely to see much playing time with the Red Sox but clearly has something left in the tank. If nothing else, he’s known for being a good clubhouse guy.
Next. Chris Sale may return as an "opener". dark
The additions of Devers and Phillips will bring the active roster to 35 players. Aside from activating Chris Sale from the disabled list in the near future, the Red Sox are probably done with their September call-ups after this.