Red Sox’s Alex Cora Explains ‘Scheduled’ Rafael Devers Rest Day

Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers belted two home runs Tuesday, bringing his total to four in his last five games. There are a lot of people who would call that the start of a hot streak.

Boston manager Alex Cora would call it time for a day off.

Devers was given a scheduled day off Wednesday, sitting in the Red Sox’s series finale against the Colorado Rockies at Fenway Park. The move was somewhat surprising, but Cora explained the method behind it.

“Why wait until the 15-game hitting streak ends when he’s getting on base at a .500 clip and he’s dead tired for five or six days? Then he’s in a slump,” Cora said, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. “Instead, let’s take care of the guy when he’s locked in. One day, two days, it doesn’t mean anything.

“It’s not basketball or football where you can ice the kicker or ice the free-throw (shooter). At the end, he’ll make the free throw. He’ll make the field goal. They’re not going to forget how to hit in two days or one day. I think it’s actually good for them.”

Cora has made it a habit of working in scheduled off days, with his explanation making the decision a little more palatable.

“We look ahead,” Cora said. “We’ve got two (off days) now and then 10 in a row. He’ll probably play 10 in a row because they’re mostly night games. … It’s more than, ‘He’s not playing.’ There’s more to this.”