Rafael Devers injury return date will relieve Red Sox fans

Last Tuesday, Devers exited the team’s eventual 10-7 loss to the Cleveland Guardians due to knee discomfort.

Devers, who went 1-for-2 at the plate in that game with two walks and a two-run double, exited the game in the top of the eighth inning — with Bobby Dalbec replacing him at third base.

It’s already been a difficult season for the 27-year-old Devers. He missed the Red Sox’s second and third games of the season with a shoulder injury, which resurfaced a few weeks later and cost him another four appearances. In 13 games this season, Devers is batting .188 with two home runs, five RBI, nine walks, a .703 OPS and a 0.1 WAR.

The two-time All-Star has slugged over .500 in each of the previous three seasons and is nearly a .280 hitter for his career. If he can recover from these shoulder and knee ailments, the productivity should presumably increase by a sizable amount.

The Red Sox surely miss Devers – his replacement, Pablo Reyes, has a -0.6 WAR dating back to 2018 – but the team is getting Tyler O’Neill back from the 7-day concussion list Tuesday.

Red Sox winning without Devers

The Red Sox, despite dealing with injuries to Devers and others such as O’Neill and Trevor Story, have managed to win four of their past five games in Devers’ absence.

The team’s run includes a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend.

So while the good news is that O’Neill and Devers are returning, there is some bad news as well. They’ll have to weather one more absence created by an injury to another everyday player: Triston Casas. The Red Sox’s first baseman was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left rib strain, and the team is concerned it could be a lengthier absence.

Casas had produced an .857 OPS in his first 22 games of the season before he injured himself on a swing in his first at-bat on Saturday.

Up next, the Red Sox take on the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday, where Devers will act as the team’s DH.