Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom on Monday offered an additional update on third baseman Rafael Devers, who battled through a nagging arm injury during Boston’s postseason run.
“We did our best to get a handle on it while it was going on. (It was) elbow inflammation,” Bloom told reporters during a season-end news conference. “We did some imaging during (the playoffs), and nothing concerning was found. Kudos to our medical staff and to Raffy for how they managed it and playing through it. Something that rest should do a lot to help.”
Devers told WEEI.com after the Red Sox were eliminated Friday night in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros that he had been dealing with “inflammation” in his right elbow, an ailment that caused him to feel “a pinch” when swinging.
Devers never was in jeopardy of missing playoff games, as the medical staff determined he wasn’t at risk of further damaging the elbow by continuing to play. But Devers, who wore a protective sleeve on his right arm throughout the postseason, at times appeared to be in discomfort, with his most noticeable grimaces coming on swings and misses. He’d often drop his bat when whiffing at a pitch.
All told, the injury didn’t hinder Devers’s performance. He batted .295 (13-for-44) with five home runs, 12 RBIs and a 1.029 OPS in 11 playoff games.
Devers, a first-time All-Star in 2021, turned 25 years old on Sunday. He’s coming off a season in which he batted .279 with 38 home runs, 113 RBIs and an .890 OPS, further cementing himself as one of the most feared hitters in Major League Baseball.
