Red Sox's conflicting updates on Rafael Devers’ shoulder injury are troubling

Rafael Devers watched the Boston Red Sox hand the Baltimore Orioles a sweep from the sidelines on April 11.

The Red Sox third baseman was kept out of action due to a nagging shoulder injury — the same one he's been battling since spring training.

Devers missed the middle two games of Boston's four-game series with the Mariners. The Sox lost both of those games and the bat of their slugging third baseman was sorely missed.

Red Sox skipper Alex Cora told media that Devers planned to play through the pain since the season was so young. Cora may have changed his mind recently. He believes Devers' swing doesn't look right.

Alex Cora and Rafael Devers gave contrasting updates about the state of the Red Sox third baseman's shoulder

The nature of Devers' shoulder injury is unclear. It has been described as "shoulder soreness," but no true cause has been revealed. The third baseman has attested that the injury is minor and that he needs some rest days to stay active. Devers called himself "day-to-day" to reporters after Boston's April 11 game.

But Cora didn't rule out the chance that Devers might have to spend some time on the injured list. Devers said his shoulder pain worsens every time he swings and hurting his arm long-term is not a risk the Red Sox can take.

Boston doesn't have a competent backup option for Devers on either side of the ball, which could be why he's forcing himself to play through his injury. The Red Sox have struggled without Devers in the lineup — Pablo Reyes is not a quality starting third baseman, despite how hard Boston is trying to pass him off as one.

If Devers needs a stint on the injured list, the Red Sox need to explore better options at third base. Converting internal players into competent infielders has not been working and it shows in Boston's error numbers. Devers isn't a defensive savant himself, but the Red Sox need all the help they can get on offense and defense.

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