The Boston Red Sox will once again be tasked with facing the Tampa Bay Rays without having their superstar third baseman in the lineup.
Rafael Devers not appearing in Tuesday's loss could be chalked up to a scheduled rest day, as the slugger has played in all but three of Boston's 81 games this season. His second absence in a row, however, raised questions.
It turns out Devers is a little banged up according to Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
"Devers has a sore back and hamstring," MLB.com's Ian Browne tweeted Wednesday. "Cora said he is available to pinch-hit. Alex also added that Devers probably shouldn't steal anymore."
The 25-year-old All-Star candidate has two steals in three attempts, but the Red Sox skipper appears to be more than fine with losing a couple of stolen bases in order to preserve Devers' health.
Whether Devers will appear in the series finale against the Rays remains to be seen, but his availability off the bench is a great sign moving forward. With all the injuries Boston's roster has already sustained, the last thing it would need would be an injury to arguably its best player.
The Red Sox and Rays play the rubber match of their three-game set on Wednesday. First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, following an hour of pregame coverage, and you can watch it all on NESN.
