Just last week, Boston Red Sox Manager Alex Cora said Rafael Devers’ spring training debut was set to be on Tuesday. Then it turned to Wednesday. Now, scratch that too! Because Devers’s official debut won’t be until Saturday against the Atlanta Braves. This is late because just nine days remain before the regular season even begins. And it’s got people thinking—is the shoulder injury really why the 313.5 million star is not able to start or is something bigger at play?
On MLB Hot Stove, insiders just pushed a theory – Devers may be just holding firm on wanting to play third base. But is this far-fetched? Not really, not when Devers has been so forthcoming, saying that third base is his to house. Even though Boston has one of the most elite third basemen on their team now.
Tinkering on the idea that Boston is struggling with Devers bending the knee, one insider suggested, “There is some hankering about him still wanting to be at third base.” For him, there are just two weeks left, and Devers is simply behind right now. “He’s way behind everybody out there.” And this, according to the insider, just means two things.
#MLBNHotStove discusses Brayan Bello starting the season on the IL and Rafael Devers’ Spring Training debut being postponed again. pic.twitter.com/RnEa4JchNP
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 11, 2025
Either Rafael can be a designated hitter, or he can be on third base. “The only place to see him on the field is at third because it’s a natural.” And it makes sense because one can’t move him to first; the guy didn’t get any practice in at all. But it does make you question if this was his motive from the get-go! In fact, Cora was bluntly asked if anything more was going on with the Red Sox, but he said, “No.”
Cora said that the delay was purely due to Rafael Devers’ health. His shoulder issues from the past season are what Cora says have prevented him from catching up to inside fastballs. Regardless, thoughts of Devers not being okay to play as DH do come in. But with Alex Bregman, it’s tough for the Red Sox to simply listen to the whims of Devers, who, tbh, struggled in the hot corner.
Alex Bregman, meanwhile, is a Gold Glove player for third base. And it’s why the Boston Red Sox, who for years didn’t spend an arm and a leg for free agents, did spend. But the longer Devers stays off the field, the more questions arise.
And as Alex Bregman is still playing at third exclusively, there are no signs that he will move. For now, he is poised to star at 3B.
Another question mark for the Boston Red Sox rotation!
The Boston Red Sox are already dealing with plenty of uncertainty with the entire third base situation. And now another trouble has come their way because Brayan Bello will not be able to start in the season opener. Alex Cora confirmed that himself about the 25-year-old righty. “He’s behind. So he’s not going to be with us for Opening Day. It just doesn’t make sense to push him and rush everything, and then something major happens.” He is still working through his shoulder soreness.
This is bad news for the Boston Red Sox because Bello is coming off a great last season. He went 14-8 with a 4.49 ERA. He is still a work in progress but he does have potential. His 95.7 mph sinker and his slider and changeup give him swing-and-miss stuff. Scouts from FanGraphs, The Athletic, and more have put him as the potential mid-rotation arm too. But the Red Sox are just carefully paving the way.
Right now Boston needs to fill the No. 5 starter spot. Ian Browne from MLB suggests that maybe Richard Fitts and Quinn Priester are the top candidates. To slot right behind Arrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Walker Buehler, and Lucas Giolito. As far as the rotation, on paper, it looks great. But only if everyone stays healthy, and in baseball, it’s rain the next moment or sunshine. And every starter in the group has an injury history too.
But the good news is Bello has avoided long IL stints, and the Red Sox are hoping this is not different than those. He is set to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday.
Now, let’s hear your thoughts about the Red Sox rotation! Comment below!
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