Fastball

Boston Red Sox Once Again Without Superstar Rafael Devers vs. Cleveland Guardians

As Rafael Devers continues to manage a knee injury, the Boston Red Sox will trot out Pablo Reyes at third base against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday.
Sam Connon|
Apr 16, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) swings the bat.
Apr 16, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) swings the bat. | Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

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Boston Red Sox

Third baseman Rafael Devers is once again absent from the Boston Red Sox's starting lineup against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday.

Devers has been dealing with a knee injury over the past week, initially leaving an April 16 contest against the Guardians with knee discomfort. He started at designated hitter on April 17 versus Cleveland, but has yet to play in a game since.

An MRI that Devers underwent on April 18 revealed he had suffered a bone bruise.

Manager Alex Cora told reporters Tuesday afternoon that Devers would return Wednesday as Boston’s designated hitter.

Devers missed the Red Sox's second and third games of the season with a shoulder injury, which resurfaced a few weeks later and cost him another four appearances. In 13 games this season, Devers is batting .188 with two home runs, five RBI, nine walks, a .703 OPS and a 0.1 WAR.

The 27-year-old slugger has been a staple in Boston's lineup since 2018, batting .279 hitter with an .851 OPS for his career. Since making his big league debut, Devers leads all American League third baseman with 174 home runs, 534 runs, 560 RBI, 928 hits and 1,688 total bases.

Devers has also been incredibly available, missing an average of just nine games a year between 2019 and 2023. Tuesday will mark Devers' 10th absence of 2024 thus far, however.

The Red Sox surely miss Devers – his replacement, Pablo Reyes, has a -0.6 WAR dating back to 2018 – but the team is getting Tyler O'Neill back from the 7-day concussion list Tuesday. To make room for the previously red-hot power-hitter on the active roster, Boston placed catcher Tyler Heineman on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain.

Here is the Red Sox's lineup for Tuesday's game against the Guardians:

1. Ceddanne Rafaela, SS
2. Jarren Duran, CF
3. Tyler O'Neill, DH
4. Wilyer Abreu, LF
5. Rob Refsnyder, RF
6. Enmanuel Valdez, 2B
7. Connor Wong, C
8. Bobby Dalbec, 1B
9. Pablo Reyes, 3B
SP: Tanner Houck, RHP

First pitch for the series opener between the Red Sox and Guardians is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. ET.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer covering baseball for “Fastball on SI.’’ He previously covered UCLA Athletics for On SI’s All Bruins site, and is a UCLA graduate, with his work there as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for On SI’s New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Sam lives in Boston.

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