Much has been made about where (or if) Boston Red Sox superstar Rafael Devers will play in the field in 2025 following Alex Bregman's arrival. The answer so far has been nowhere, with all 36 of the former's appearances thus far this season coming from the DH spot.
But Devers' first crack at manning a position on the diamond this season could be on the horizon. Or at least it should be, after the latest update on Masataka Yoshida's ongoing recovery from a nagging shoulder issue is any indication.
Yoshida underwent shoulder surgery this past offseason after not being able to play the field for much of 2024, and has spent the entire season so far on the IL. He still isn't progressing as well as the club hoped, specifically when it comes to throwing the ball, and was recently given a cortisone shot (h/t MassLive's Christopher Smith) to help ease the discomfort.
Nonetheless, the 31-year-old is "still fine hitting," and the Red Sox could certainly use another above-average bat in the lineup. That brings us back to Devers, and how he might feel about an obvious albeit contentious [ositoin switch
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Masataka Yoshida's injury update makes the Red Sox moving Rafael Devers to 1B clear
Boston has a void to fill at the cold corner with Triston Casas out for the year due to a ruptured left patellar tendon. Red Sox manager Alex Cora left everything on the table to replace him, including Devers taking his place. But it takes two to tango, and the three-time All-Star is ostensibly uninterested in being a first sacker.
Cora was asked whether he and Devers have discussed a potential shift to first base so that Yoshida can return as the DH. The skipper reaffirmed that no conversations have been had — nor are there any plans to. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and Casas' injury may force the Red Sox to change their course of action.
Romy González has been the primary Casas alternative and has performed admirably in the latter's stead. But Yoshida would undeniably bolster Boston's lineup and help them maintain the pop they lost when their everyday first baseman went down. If Devers is truly "here to help," like he's claimed to be, this is a chance to show it.