Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has not discussed a move to first base with Rafael Devers in the wake of Triston Casas‘ season-ending knee injury, he said Tuesday (via MassLive.com). Cora gave a flat “no” when asked whether he plans to talk to Devers about first base. The Red Sox will stick with Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro at first for the time being.
Casas suffered a ruptured left patellar tendon on an awkward step while running through first base last Friday. He had surgery Sunday and it will end his season. Here’s the play:
Devers has never played first base as a professional, not even in the minors. He shifted from third base to DH in deference to Alex Bregman this year, though that was handled a bit awkwardly. Learning any position on the fly, especially one involved in as many plays as first base, is not easy. There would be growing pains for Devers, undoubtedly.
Gonzalez replaced Casas at first base in Friday’s game and started Saturday’s and Sunday’s games as well. Toro is starting at first base in Monday night’s series opener with the Texas Rangers (BOS +100, TEX -120, over/under 8.5, per DraftKings). Our R.J. Anderson explored Boston’s first base options with Casas sidelined. Gonzalez is the best the Red Sox have in-house at the moment.
Although he’s shown tremendous power in the past, Casas was off to a slow start this season, hitting .182/.277/.303 with three home runs in 29 games. Boston’s first basemen enter play Tuesday among the league’s least productive units with a .634 OPS and minus-0.3 WAR. It won’t take much for Gonzalez & Co. to be an upgrade.
The Red Sox are 18-18 this year and have lost four of their last five games. Following a terrible start, Devers is hitting .250/.370/.441 with five home runs. He leads the league with 26 walks.
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