SEATTLE – After a monster Opening Day performance, Rafael Devers is out of the lineup for the second consecutive game Saturday.
Devers was a late scratch from Friday night’s contest with left-shoulder soreness, but didn’t rule out playing on Saturday.
“Most likely he’ll play tomorrow,” Alex Cora said before Saturday night’s game.
“We gotta be smart with him,” the Sox skipper added. “He felt better in the cage, he took a few swings, but it doesn’t make sense to start him.”
However, he didn’t rule out Devers pinch-hitting if the situation presented itself. The third baseman has tormented the Mariners throughout his career. He made his Major League debut in Seattle in July ’17, and hit his first big-league home run in the following game. He’s hit .336 with a 1.014 OPS and 10 home runs against the Mariners, and his performanc in Thursday night’s opener (home run, double) extended his T-Mobile Park on-base streak to 15 games.
Pablo Reyes will start at third base in Devers’ place, something he didn’t do for the Sox last year – he made four appearances at the hot corner – and only did once for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022.
“He played well, especially towards the end,” Cora said of Reyes’ spring training work. “We kept him at second and short most of the time, and we gave him a lot of reps at first base, but he made some plays at third base, he can play the outfield.”
