<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-dh-rafael-devers-very-happy-reaction-after-breaking-0-for-21-slump');   ga('set', 'title', 'Red Sox DH Rafael Devers’ ‘very happy’ reaction after breaking 0-for-21 slump');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Red-Sox-news-Rafael-Devers-very-happy-reaction-after-breaking-0-for-21-slump.jpg"></figure><h1>Red Sox DH Rafael Devers’ ‘very happy’ reaction after breaking 0-for-21 slump</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T00:31:10-07:00">April 3rd, 12:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T00:31:10-07:00">April 3rd, 12:31am</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Baltimore Orioles</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For the first five games of the season, Rafael Devers couldn’t buy a hit. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/red-sox-news-fans-clown-rafael-devers-miserable-slump-season-start">Boston Red Sox slugger was mired in an 0-for-21 slump</a> with a staggering 15 strikeouts, drawing concern from fans and frustration across the lineup. But on Wednesday night at Camden Yards,<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/red-sox-news-jonathan-papelbon-calls-out-rafael-devers-shape-amid-struggles"> Devers finally delivered — and the weight of the world seemed to lift.</a></p><p>Devers went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and a single in Boston’s 3-0 win over the Orioles, providing both relief and production at a much-needed time. The <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/rafael-devers-rbi-double-for-first-hit-of-2025" rel="noopener">double came in the fifth inning</a> off Orioles starter Zach Eflin, a 109.5 mph liner to right field that scored Ceddanne Rafaela and extended Boston’s lead to 3-0. The crowd — filled with Red Sox fans — gave Devers a standing ovation.</p><p>“I enjoy it a lot,” Devers said through interpreter Carlos Villoria-Benítez. “It makes me happy, seeing that reaction, because that makes me see that they’re paying attention to my at-bat and they’re supporting me.”</p><p>Devers added a single in the eighth inning and didn’t strike out once, a noticeable shift after striking out three or more times in four of the team’s first six games. While Devers insisted he wasn’t worried about the slump, manager Alex Cora admitted the breakthrough was much needed — for everyone.</p><h2><b>Rafael Devers gets his first hit in Red Sox win over Orioles</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Rafael-Devers-1.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“We all needed that one,” Cora said. “The at-bats are getting better. He walked twice the other day. He put some good swings on it, got a breaking ball in the zone, put a good swing, and then the line drive we’ve been looking for for five days. He did an outstanding job.”</p><p>Devers’ struggles at the plate were magnified not just by the results, but by the context. After being moved off third base due to the offseason signing of Gold Glove winner Alex Bregman, Devers — recovering from a shoulder injury that ended his 2024 season — expressed frustration about his position shift. But with his early struggles and Bregman’s defensive value, the Red Sox stuck with the switch, and Devers has since embraced his new role as designated hitter.</p><p>Helping fuel Boston’s win was left-hander Garrett Crochet, fresh off signing a six-year, $170 million extension. In his second start for the Red Sox, the 25-year-old was dominant, throwing eight scoreless innings while striking out eight and allowing just four hits.</p><p>“I felt really good,” Crochet said. “I was just in control. Let’s pour some pitches in the zone and eliminate the walks as much as we can.”</p><p>Aroldis Chapman locked down the ninth for his first save, sealing the Red Sox’s second win of the season and ending a short skid.</p><p>“I never pressured myself or anything like that,” Devers said. “I knew it was going to come. It was more for other people than for me.”</p><p>Now with that elusive first hit — and second — in the books, Devers and the Red Sox can finally turn the page and look forward to brighter days ahead.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Red Sox DH Rafael Devers’ ‘very happy’ reaction after breaking 0-for-21 slump

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-alex-cora-defiant-take-rafael-devers-historic-strikeout-rate');   ga('set', 'title', 'Red Sox’s Alex Cora drops defiant take on Rafael Devers’ historic strikeout rate');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Red-Sox-news-Alex-Cora-drops-defiant-take-on-Rafael-Devers-historic-strikeout-rate.jpg"></figure><h1>Red Sox’s Alex Cora drops defiant take on Rafael Devers’ historic strikeout rate</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T14:41:01-07:00">April 1st, 2:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T14:41:01-07:00">April 1st, 2:41pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Red Sox are 1-4 to start the 2025 MLB season. They lost three of four to the Texas Rangers to start and lost Monday’s game to the Baltimore Orioles. Designated hitter <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-fans-clown-rafael-devers-miserable-slump-season-start">Rafael Devers has been brutal for the Red Sox</a>, with 15 strikeouts in 23 plate appearances, but Alex Cora is not worried. The manager spoke to ESPN’s David Schoenfield <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44491202/mlb-2025-season-rafael-devers-red-sox-strikeouts-history" rel="noopener">about the drought before</a> Tuesday’s game.</p><p>“As Cora argued Monday, it’s a small sample size. ‘You know, this happens in July or August, we’d not even be talking about it,’ he said,” Schoenfield wrote.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-jonathan-papelbon-calls-out-rafael-devers-shape-amid-struggles">Devers is 0-19 with only four walks through the Red Sox’s</a> first five games. That type of drought would be spoken about no matter when it happened because of Devers’ star power and the expectations around Boston this year. His defiance about playing third base makes this an even bigger story with the home opener around the corner.</p><p>Alex Bregman has played third base in each of the five games so far. Cora originally said that he saw Bregman as a second baseman, but then Kristian Campbell made the team. That left five infielders with only four spots. Devers was put in the DH role, but has struggled so far.</p><h2><b>How can the Red Sox fix the Rafael Devers problem?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Rafael-devers-with-Boston-Red-Sox-1.jpg"><figcaption>Tim Heitman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>If the solution to Devers’ offensive issues is putting him back in the field, that will be difficult for the Red Sox to do. Campbell has been excellent to start his MLB career, with a .500 on-base percentage.  Bregman does not have any extra-base hits yet, but his defense is part of his $40 million payday. Devers does not have a natural place in the field and is struggling at the plate.</p><p>Tristan Casas is also struggling to start the year, with just one hit and one walk in 17 plate appearances. If Devers needs to play the field to be successful, maybe a day at first base is the answer. Casas could still DH if necessary, and both lefties would still be in the lineup.</p><p>The Red Sox will open Fenway Park for 2025 against the St Louis Cardinals on Friday. Devers needs to have something on his stat line before he digs in during that game. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/beantown-rundown-are-red-sox-world-series-contenders">Boston sports fans are not known for their patience, and with the expectations around this team</a>, frustrations will bubble over quickly. To avoid Opening Day boos, Devers has to rake at Camden Yards.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-boston-garrett-crochet-agree-to-monster-170-million-extension">Newly extended ace Garrett Crochet</a> will take the hill for the Red Sox against the Orioles on Tuesday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Red Sox’s Alex Cora drops defiant take on Rafael Devers’ historic strikeout rate

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-fans-clown-rafael-devers-miserable-slump-season-start');   ga('set', 'title', 'Red Sox fans clown Rafael Devers after miserable slump to start season continues');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Red-Sox-news-Fans-clown-Rafael-Devers-after-miserable-slump-to-start-season-continues.jpg"></figure><h1>Red Sox fans clown Rafael Devers after miserable slump to start season continues</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T15:17:14-07:00">March 31st, 3:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T15:17:14-07:00">March 31st, 3:17pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Expectations were high for the Boston Red Sox this year but the team fell to a 1-4 record after suffering an 8-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. There’s plenty of time to bounce back but it appears the fanbase is growing weary of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-rafael-devers-unwanted-mlb-record-brutal-start">star designated hitter Rafael Devers</a>.</p><p>The 28-year-old star has played in all five games for the Red Sox so far but has failed to record a single hit, starting the season off 0-19 at the plate. To make matters worse, Devers has already struck out 15 times on the season. Historically, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/rafael-devers-begins-2025-with-historic-strikeout-mark" rel="noopener">this is the worst start</a> for a hitter through five games in an MLB season.</p><p>Although we’re only five games into the regular season, Red Sox fans are growing concerned. It’s getting to the point where numerous individuals are roasting Rafael Devers for his sluggish slump. Many make jokes while others ponder whether moving him off of third base is affecting his play.</p><p>“Rafael Devers is 0-19 with 15 Ks. That’s almost impossible to do. Not even sure sitting him will change much right now. This is brutal,” <a href="https://x.com/Steve_Perrault/status/1906808192534995124" rel="noopener">said one user</a>.</p><p><a href="https://x.com/Thomas_Carrieri/status/1906800975987519508" rel="noopener">One fan jokingly suggested</a>, “Have they tried turning off Rafael Devers and turning him back on again?”</p><p>“The Red Sox should really consider moving Rafael Devers back to 3rd base so he can build back up his confidence by committing a bunch of errors to go with all those strikeouts,” <a href="https://x.com/John_Zannis/status/1906799923992920073" rel="noopener">joked another individual</a>.</p><p>Former Baltimore Orioles first baseman <a href="https://x.com/ryanripkenshow/status/1906826897633186280" rel="noopener">Ryan Ripken stated</a>, ” Devers is struggling BAD but he is going to get it figured out soon.”</p><p>“I actually to this point could have the same stats as Devers has,” <a href="https://x.com/Tags2424/status/1906826819405586703" rel="noopener">claimed another fan</a>.</p><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-jonathan-papelbon-calls-out-rafael-devers-shape-amid-struggles">Red Sox star acquiring his 15th strikeout</a> on the season so far, he’s currently on pace for 486 strikeouts on the season. The current MLB record was set in the 2009 season by Mark Reynolds, who struck out 223 times that season. Devers is well on pace to smash that record.</p><p>Red Sox <a href="https://x.com/RSNStats/status/1906826979204338069" rel="noopener">manager Alex Cora fielded questions</a> about Devers’ slow start after Monday’s contest. Cora seemed a bit more optimistic about the situation than the fanbase, claiming there “were some positives today.” He also claimed that he likes that Devers isn’t “chasing pitches.”</p><p>“Red Sox Manager Cora on Rafael Devers: “We’ll find it mechanically. The good thing is that he’s not chasing pitches, he’s swinging at pitches in the zone. Obviously, the bad thing is he’s swinging and missing…but there were some positives today and we just build from that.”</p><p>Devers will have his next opportunity to get his first hit on the season on Wednesday when they face off against the Orioles again. That’s assuming Cora doesn’t give Devers a break after playing five consecutive games.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Red Sox fans clown Rafael Devers after miserable slump to start season continues

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-jonathan-papelbon-calls-out-rafael-devers-shape-amid-struggles');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jonathan Papelbon calls out Red Sox star Rafael Devers’ shape amid struggles');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/unnamed-1_e488c1.jpg"></figure><h1>Jonathan Papelbon calls out Red Sox star Rafael Devers’ shape amid struggles</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T10:47:44-07:00">March 31st, 10:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T10:48:01-07:00">March 31st, 10:48am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a Senior Associate Editor with ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP,  he's writing sports betting predictions for numerous sites across North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/red-sox-news-rafael-devers-unwanted-mlb-record-brutal-start">Boston Red Sox star Rafael Devers got off to the worst possible start</a> to begin the 2024 season, going 0 for 16 with 12 strikeouts in a four-game set against the Texas Rangers. He even set an ugly MLB record in the process.</p><p>Following the Red Sox’s loss to the Rangers on Sunday, former pitcher and current analyst Jonathan Papelbon<a href="https://x.com/gfstarr1/status/1906453490093740234" rel="noopener"> bluntly said</a> Devers must lose weight.</p><p>Via Gabrielle Starr:</p><p>“”Maybe (Devers is) out of shape. … Maybe we gotta trim a little bit of fat. … You trim fat, pigs squeal. … Is it the shoulders? Is he in shape? We don’t know these things, but to me, it looks like the swing is just a little bit behind,” Papelbon said on the NESN broadcast.</p><p>Yikes. To make matters worse for Devers, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/red-sox-news-alex-cora-red-sox-winning-business-reason-rafael-devers-alex-bregman-decision">he lost his spot at third base after the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman in free agency</a>. While he publicly made it clear he wanted to keep playing at the hot corner, skipper Alex Cora instead shifted Devers over to the full-time DH in Beantown, which upset the Dominican.</p><p>Now that he’s strictly in the lineup for offense, going hitless in four games is far from ideal. I mean, Devers could barely make contact with the baseball. Obviously Papelbon is just giving his brutally honest opinion, but when the bat is moving slowly, it’s understandable to say he needs to shed weight.</p><p>On a more positive note, the campaign just began. Yes, Devers is struggling immensely, but there’s little doubt he will figure it out. After all, Devers is one of Boston’s best hitters, slashing .272 with 28 home runs and 83 RBI last year.</p><p>The Red Sox are back in action on Monday afternoon as they begin a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles, who will be one of their biggest rivals this season en route to a hopeful AL East title. We’ll see if Devers can end the cold streak.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jonathan Papelbon calls out Red Sox star Rafael Devers’ shape amid struggles

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-red-sox-make-strange-rafael-devers-choice-on-alex-bregman-off-days');   ga('set', 'title', 'Red Sox make strange Rafael Devers choice on Alex Bregman off days');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Red-Sox-news-Boston-makes-strange-Rafael-Devers-choice-on-Alex-Bregman-off-days.jpg"><figcaption>3/28/25</figcaption></figure><h1>Red Sox make strange Rafael Devers choice on Alex Bregman off days</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-28T16:39:29-07:00">March 28th, 4:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-28T16:39:29-07:00">March 28th, 4:39pm</time><address><a>Steve Silverman</a>Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including "Who's Better, Who's Best in the NFL." He has won multiple awards from the Pro Football Writers of America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Red Sox</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/red-sox-news-red-sox-dealt-difficult-liam-hendriks-injury-blow">Boston Red Sox made several</a> huge moves in the offseason to improve the team. The biggest move among position players was the signing of former Astros star 3rd baseman Alex Bregman to upgrade the lineup. While there is little doubt that Bregman’s strong right-handed bat appears to be a huge weapon to have at Fenway Park, his spot in the infield appeared to be in direct conflict with Red Sox star Rafael Devers.</p><p>Both men have been established stars at 3rd base. While Devers has given <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/red-sox-news-espns-boston-hype-will-have-yankees-fans-scowling">the Red Sox</a> an outstanding bat since his promotion to the Major Leagues in the 2017 season, his fielding has been indifferent at best and poor by several of the metrics employed to judge fielding competence. Bregman is one of the game’s best fielding 3rd basemen.</p><p>At the start of free agency, Devers appeared to dig his heels in and say that he was not going to give up his position to the newcomer. However, as the weeks of spring training rolled by, Devers changed his perspective. He was in the lineup on Opening Day as the team’s designated hitter and appeared to make the adjustment without issue.</p><p>A day after the start of the season — the Red Sox won the season opener against the Texas Rangers — Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Devers would remain as the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-alex-cora-red-sox-winning-business-reason-rafael-devers-alex-bregman-decision"> team’s designated hitter</a> even when Bregman needs a day off. Cora said that infielders Romy Gonzalez and David Hamilton would play 3rd base when Bregman needs time off.</p><p>“He’s the DH of the Boston Red Sox,” Cora said about Devers and his role with the team.</p><h2><b>Red Sox strategy behind Cora’s declaration</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Rafael-Devers-is-likely-to-remain-as-the-Red-Sox-designated-hitter-this-season.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Cora has laid out a clear directive that Bregman is Boston’s 3rd baseman and Devers is the team’s designated hitter. That position makes some degree of sense because the manager does not want any debate to linger about the two players fighting over the position.</p><p>By assuring the Boston media and Red Sox fans that Devers is not going to play 3rd base once or twice a week, he is demonstrating that 3rd base belongs to Bregman and that Devers no longer has a claim on it.</p><p>However, if Devers is just the team’s full-time DH, what becomes of Bregman when he does need time off from playing the field? Will he simply sit on the bench on those days and not contribute? That would seem to make the Red Sox a weaker team because Bregman’s right-handed bat should be a solid attribute on an every-game basis.</p><p>There was talk during the recruitment process that Bregman would moved to 2nd base if the Red Sox signed him, but that no longer appears to be an option. Keeping Devers as a full-time DH may prevent position confusion, but it may result in a weaker lineup for the Red Sox.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.214	0	2	0.553	0

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.214	0	2	0.553	0

Rafael Devers

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Jonathan Papelbon calls out Red Sox star Rafael Devers’ shape amid struggles

Red Sox make strange Rafael Devers choice on Alex Bregman off days

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