The Boston Red Sox have placed third baseman Rafael Devers on the injured list and ruled him out for the remainder of the 2025 season due to shoulder inflammation, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The Red Sox have called up infielder Mickey Gasper in a corresponding move.
Red Sox All-Star 3B Rafael Devers’ season is officially over as he has been placed on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) 21 September 2024
Devers had played with shoulder pain and soreness for nearly two months since landing on his right shoulder during a jump against the Colorado Rockies on July 23. He chose to continue playing despite the injury until he was subbed out in the 11th inning of the Red Sox’s 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Friday. Devers had one walk and one hit before leaving the game.
The injury continued to affect Devers’ performance since July. After posting a phenomenal .362 batting average in July, Devers’ batting average dropped to .216 in August and .188 in September before he left the game on Friday.
Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images
Devers hit just four home runs in all of August, none in September, and recorded just three RBIs. He has been hit a total of 11 times in his last four games and has clearly not played with his usual effectiveness.
“I think overall, aside from the injuries, he’s been one of the best hitters, if not the best hitter in the major leagues for two and a half months, and he’s been fun to watch,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Saturday, via NESN’s Keagan Stiefel. “I know the numbers are the numbers defensively, but he’s improved in certain areas… I’m disappointed because he’s basically our offense. He’s the guy. He’s been tough to watch over the last month.”
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Earlier in the season, Devers also struggled with an injury to his other shoulder and knee. He overcame these early injuries to become an All-Star for the third time in his career. Overall, Devers hit a .272/.354/.516 batting average with 143 hits, 87 runs, 28 home runs and 83 RBIs that season before retiring.
With the Red Sox also out of the race for the American League playoffs with just eight games left in the season, it was only logical to place Devers on the IL. The Red Sox are unlikely to secure a playoff spot, especially since they are third in the AL East and four teams in the AL Central have already won eight games.
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