Sports
Rafael Devers Makes First Base Debut with Giants After Trade from Red Sox

ATLANTA — Rafael Devers made his first appearance at first base for the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves. This debut follows a notable trade from the Boston Red Sox, where Devers had previously refused to play the position.
During the game, Devers picked up a routine throw from second baseman Thairo Estrada to complete the final out of the second inning without any errors. The Braves struggled at the plate, striking out 14 times, while Devers contributed offensively, going 2 for 5 with an RBI in the Giants’ victory.
After the game, Devers expressed a preference for playing defense over being a designated hitter. He stated, “It keeps me active. It keeps my head out of just thinking about the next at-bat. I’m the kind of player that likes to be active, likes to be on the field.”
Devers was traded to the Giants in June after his relationship with Red Sox management soured. He had signed a 10-year, $313.5 million contract in 2023 but faced challenges when the Red Sox signed Gold Glove third baseman Rafael Devers during spring training. The team requested Devers to move to designated hitter, but he hesitated at first.
When Boston’s first baseman suffered a season-ending injury, the team offered Devers another chance to play first base, but he declined. After the trade, Devers committed to training for the position and indicated he was open to playing first once he felt comfortable.
On why he chose to play first base for the Giants, Devers mentioned that he felt he had “earned some respect” during his time in Boston. He added that he would have considered the switch earlier had it been proposed at the beginning of spring training.
Since joining the Giants, Devers has struggled at the plate, batting .219 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 29 games as the designated hitter. In contrast, he had a successful run with the Red Sox, batting .272 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs in 73 games.
A three-time All-Star, Devers is a .277 career hitter with 217 home runs over nine seasons and was expected to provide a boost to a Giants offense that was ranked 23rd in the majors for runs per game.
With this win, the Giants halted a six-game losing streak and moved within 2.5 games of a wild-card playoff position.