NEW YORK — The Red Sox’ 7-2 loss to the Mets ended at approximately 9:45 p.m. Tuesday.
A frustrated Rafael Devers sat with a bat for about 40 minutes after staring into his locker. The media relations staff told him that reporters wanted to talk with him. He had everyone wait around for more than an hour, then left without speaking at 10:55 p.m. after he showered and dressed.
His frustration is understandable. His team had just dropped its fourth straight game. It has lost 10 of its past 13 games. The Red Sox have scored five runs in their past 36 innings. Devers, who has been dealing with chronic shoulder soreness all season, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. He’s 1-for-21 on this road trip.
Only 23 games remain and the Red Sox are 4 ½ games behind Kansas City for the final Wild Card spot. Boston is 17-26 with a negative-41 run differential during the second half. Once 10 games over .500, this team now sits at 70-69.
The 27-year-old superstar has had a fabulous season despite dealing with shoulder issues. He has a .905 OPS, 28 homers, 33 doubles, five triples and 80 RBIs in 123 games (538 plate appearances).
He’s a huge reason why the 2024 Red Sox have remained in the Wild Card race into September.
Devers is grinding through it with his team in the race. He’s clearly not 100%. What he’s doing on the field is admirable.
But he also has shown a lack of leadership and accountability at times off the field this season. He has chosen not to speak with the media multiple times after losses this season, leaving other teammates with less service time to do it.
He’s not required to speak to the media. He doesn’t have to do it. Being Boston’s highest-paid player also doesn’t require him to be a vocal leader. That’s OK. But why not tell reporters at 10 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. so they don’t have to wait around? What he did lacks basic common courtesy.
Manager Alex Cora shuffled his lineup a bit Tuesday, penciling in Rob Refsnyder as the leadoff hitter and Jarren Duran, who typically leads off, second in the order.
“We like our comfort with Jarren leading off but we’ve gotta get other guys going if we’re gonna get the offense going,” Cora said before Tuesday’s game. “Today’s this and tomorrow against a righty we’ll do something different. We have to switch it up. We cannot just stay put and hope for the best. We have to be proactive. And today was day one of that.”
Cora revealed after Tuesday’s loss one way he will shake up the lineup Wednesday — and it involves Devers.
“Raffy’s hitting second,” Cora said.
Devers, who has batted cleanup most of the season, has hit second in the order 21 other times this year. Maybe it will get him going. Maybe it will get the lifeless Red Sox’ offense going. Devers is clearly struggling and the shoulder issues have played a part in his recent slump, obviously.
“It’s difficult but we’ve been through this path before,” Cora said. “He played hurt in ‘21 and we made it all the way to the ALCS. He’s not getting worse. Obviously it’s limiting his repetitions in the cage and batting practice and all that. To put in the work mechanically, it’s not the same as if you’re 100% but he’ll find a way. He’ll find a way.”
Devers probably will find a way. He’s just that good at hitting. But he also needs to find a way off the field to do better than he did Tuesday.
