Red Sox should shut down Rafael Devers if playoff deficit balloons in September

Rafael Devers is out of the Boston Red Sox's lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays for the second consecutive night.

Boston's All-Star third baseman has been battling a long-term shoulder injury since spring training. He's played through it well, to the point that he doesn't seem injured to those out of the know — Devers has posted numbers that rival his career-best on both sides of the ball for the Red Sox this season.

But his absence in the middle of a slump during the Sox's push for a wild card spot is a cause for concern. Alex Cora shared some of his conversations with Devers with reporters and gave some insight into his injuries.

"He's not getting worse, but he's not getting any better," Cora said. "So [on Aug. 26,] I talked to him before Game 2 [of the doubleheader] and told him to just let me know.

"If he needs two or three [days off,] we'll do it. We have to take care of him. I think it's smart to do. You've seen it throughout the season when you take care of him, he takes care of us. So, you know, hopefully it's one day. But if he needs more than that, I'm willing to (give him that)."

Rafael Devers out of Red Sox lineup for the second-straight game due to shoulder issues

Devers has been one of the Sox's most important producers at the plate, but his team pulled off a win against the Jays without him on Aug. 27. The 27-year-old is batting .290/.369/.571 with a .940 OPS through 118 games this season, but he's slumped in recent games, which is why he needs the rest. Devers is batting .237/.308/.458 in his last 15 games.

If the Red Sox fall further out of wild card contention, it may be worth it to shut Devers down for the season. The third baseman is too important to Boston's future to be forcing him to play in games that don't matter in a postseason race.

The Red Sox aren't out of contention yet, but they've faltered significantly since they were 11 games above .500 at the All-Star break. They sit four games behind the Minnesota Twins for the third American League wild card spot, but the Tigers and Mariners aren't far behind.

Like Cora said, Devers has bounced back well after his rest days this season. When he comes back, he may be able to help the Sox get back on track in the postseason race. But if he can't, Boston should explore other options at third base to allow Devers as much time as possible to recover.

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