The Boston Red Sox played two games of their season-opening series without their slugging third baseman, Rafael Devers.
Devers was sidelined for the second and third games of the season against the Mariners due to shoulder soreness, and concern began to mount for Red Sox Nation. Had his issue turned into something beyond an ache, Boston may have had to play long-term without its everyday starting third baseman.
Devers' comments about his injury did nothing to mitigate Sox fans' concerns. Rather, what he said made their worries worse.
The third baseman admitted that his pain went back to spring training and that he had been playing through the shoulder soreness for quite some time. Boston fans' worry mounted even quicker — spring training is meant to be used for preparing for the grind of the season, not for playing through injuries that might hamper future performance!
Alex Cora calms Red Sox fans' nerves about Rafael Devers' shoulder issue
But Red Sox manager Alex Cora appeared on WEEI's "Jones and Mego" show to quell some of Red Sox Nation's stress.
Cora said that Devers' shoulder soreness was triggered toward the end of spring training while taking batting practice off a pitching machine.
The skipper went on to say that Devers would have played through the soreness late in the season, but it didn't make sense to risk worsening his injury with so much baseball to go, which was the reason for his rest during the Mariners series.
Alex Cora shares an update on Rafael Devers’ shoulder injury pic.twitter.com/Xw9rJn9j4Y
— Jones & Mego with Arcand (@JonesandMego) April 2, 2024
The Red Sox didn't hit well without Devers in the lineup, but they faced two fearsome pitchers in Logan Gilbert and George Kirby in his absence. But since the Sox star's return to the roster, they haven't lost a game.
Cora's update on Devers' shoulder is a relief, especially with few other Red Sox hitting for power — Tyler O'Neill has posted two homers, but Triston Casas, Trevor Story and the other strong bats have been kept inside the park.
Boston's manager said Devers is diligent about taking care of his body and monitoring any issues he may face. By the sound of it, Devers' shoulder shouldn't cause him any more problems unless something else comes up ... we hope.