The Boston Red Sox are standing by star designated hitter Rafael Devers despite his rough start to the season. After a historically poor opening weekend, the team kept Devers in the No. 2 spot in the lineup for Monday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles. The three-time All-Star began the season 0-for-16 with 12 strikeouts, making him the first player in MLB history to record at least 12 strikeouts in the first four games of a season.
Red Sox fans took to social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter), to voice their frustration upon seeing Devers’ name in the lineup. One fan called the decision to bat him second “an insult to all of Red Sox Nation,” while another predicted, “This one is gonna be painful.”
Devers, who primarily played third base for his first eight seasons, has transitioned to a full-time designated hitter role. Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed last week that there are no immediate plans to put him back in the field. Some fans have even called for Devers to be sent to the minors, but that isn’t an option unless he agrees to it, as he has no minor-league options remaining under his 10-year, $313 million contract signed in 2023.
Devers and Chicago Cubs DH Seiya Suzuki are currently the only players with double-digit strikeouts this season. However, Suzuki accumulated his 12 strikeouts over six games, while Devers reached the mark in just four. Fans didn’t hold back in their criticism, with one commenting that Devers had “the worst opening series in the entire history of Major League Baseball.” Another fan blamed the decision to move him from third base to DH, saying, “He’s a superstar, and you’re messing with him!”
