Red Sox's Rafael Devers: Hitting cleanup in return
Rotowire
Defers (knee) is batting fourth and playing third base Tuesday against Philadelphia, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Devers missed Sunday's game with left knee soreness but he's back in the lineup for Tuesday's series opener. He's 8-for-25 (.320) with three homers through seven games in June and owns a .932 OPS on the year.
Red Sox's Rafael Devers: Likely to rejoin lineup Tuesday
Rotowire
Red Sox manager Alex Cora suggested Sunday that he expects Devers (knee) to be back in the lineup for Tuesday's series opener versus the Phillies, MLB.com reports. "He's OK," Cora said of Devers prior to Sunday's 6-4 extra-inning over the White Sox. "Hopefully one day [off], [then Monday's team off day] and be ready for Tuesday. If he feels like he's banged up, giving him a day will benefit him."
Devers was lifted in the eighth inning of Saturday's 6-1 loss to Chicago after Cora said that the the third baseman's left knee was bothering him when he was getting ready to swing in the batter's box. Though Devers likely could have played Sunday if necessary, the Red Sox might have chosen to err on the side of caution and hold him out of the lineup after he had previously dealt with a bone bruise in the same knee in April that cost him five starts. After getting Sunday and Monday off, Devers should be ready to go for the three-game series with the Phillies, but fantasy managers may still want to confirm that he's starting Tuesday before locking him into lineups.
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Red Sox's Rafael Devers: Won't play Sunday
Rotowire
Devers was removed from Saturday's 6-1 loss to the White Sox with left knee soreness and won't play in Sunday's series finale, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reports. He went 0-for-2 with a walk before exiting.
Manager Alex Cora said postgame that Devers reported soreness in his left knee -- the same knee that forced Devers to miss nearly a week in late April -- which led to Devers' removal in the eighth inning. Cora will play it safe with the star third baseman, giving him a day off Sunday. The Red Sox have a team off day Monday, so Devers' return to the lineup would come Tuesday against Philadelphia at the earliest.
Devers was replaced by a pinch hitter during the seventh inning of Thursday's game against the White Sox, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.
Devers exited with the Red Sox up 11-0 to get some extra rest, and he went 1-for-4 with a run scored prior to hitting the bench. He now has a six-game hitting streak, during which he's gone 8-for-23 with three homers, six RBI and seven runs scored.
Devers went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs, a walk, three total RBI and three total runs scored in Wednesday's 9-0 win over Atlanta.
Devers opened the scoring with an opposite-field solo shot off Spencer Schwellenbach in the second inning before extending the Red Sox lead to 8-0 with a two-run blast off left-hander Ray Kerr in the seventh. The 27-year-old Devers is now 7-for-19 (.368) with three homers and six RBI in his last five contests. He's slashing .288/.380/.576 with 13 homers, 32 RBI and 34 runs scored across 221 plate appearances this season.
Red Sox's Rafael Devers: Homers, triples in losing effort
Rotowire
Devers went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a triple, two RBI and a walk Sunday against the Tigers.
Devers' third-inning triple plated a run, while his solo blast in the eighth knotted the game at four and set the stage for extra innings. It was the second triple and 11th homer of the season for Devers, who entered the game in a mini 1-for-10 slump since accumulating four hits against the Orioles on Tuesday. It was also the first dinger for Devers since hitting a homer in six consecutive games from May 15-20.
