Rafael Devers will undergo an MRI on his bothersome right shoulder today, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey) after yesterday’s 4-2 loss to the Twins in extra innings. Devers was removed from the game prior to the start of the 11th, and Cora said that the slugger had been trying to tough it out Friday despite tweaking his shoulder during pregame batting practice.
While Cora said “we’ll see where we’re at” following the MRI, “probably, this is it for [Devers]” this season. With just eight games remaining and the Red Sox all but officially eliminated from the playoff race, the club is likely to play it safe with the star third baseman.
Devers has been dealing with discomfort in both shoulders for a good chunk of the season, and it is fair to wonder if his determination to keep playing has contributed to his severe slump. The third baseman had an outstanding .296/.375/.587 slash line through his first 488 plate appearances, but has only a .172/.265/.212 slash line over his last 113 trips to the dish. Among all qualified batters since August 19, Devers’ 34 wRC+ is the third-worst in the league.
The Red Sox as a whole have a team wRC+ of 74 since August 19, ahead of only the lowly White Sox in that timespan. Boston had a 67-60 record as recently as August 22, but a 9-18 record over the club’s last 27 games has sunk the Fenway nine’s chances of a return to the postseason. Even though Devers’ slump dovetails pretty directly with Boston’s offensive slide, he is far from the only Red Sox hitter who hit a cold streak at exactly the wrong time.
Assuming this is indeed it for Devers’ 2024 season, he’ll still finish with a typically strong set of numbers — 28 homers and a .272/.354/.516 slash over 601 PA, with a 133 wRC+ and his third All-Star nod. Though a veteran of eight MLB seasons, Devers still doesn’t turn 28 until the end of October, and 2024 marked the first season of the ten-year, $313.5MM contract extension he signed with the Red Sox during the 2022-23 offseason. Since Devers is such a key component of Boston’s present and future plans, it’s a wise move to figure out as early as possible if Devers’ shoulder might require any kind of surgery heading into 2025.