Why Giants Delay Former Red Sox Star Rafael Devers’ Move To First Base

And now the San Francisco Giants play the waiting game.

Slugger Rafael Devers, acquired earlier this month in the blockbuster five-player deal with the Boston Red Sox, is nursing some soreness in his groin, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Shayna Rubin. As a result, the Giants are delaying Devers’ much-anticipated move to first base.

Giants manager Bob Melvin said the Giants are “trying to be cognizant of (Devers) working at first base,” according to the Mercury News’ Justice delos Santos, but there’s “no timetable as to when he would play first in a game.”

Devers has played in six games since his trade to the San Francisco, including three over the weekend against the Red Sox. The three-time All-Star hit his first home run as a member of the Giants on Saturday in a 3-2 win over Boston.

The 28-year-old slugger has played exclusively at designated hitter following his trade and despite the tender groin, Devers is expected to DH Tuesday when the Giants open a three-game series with the Miami Marlins at Oracle Park.

Devers said following his trade form Boston that he’s open to playing first base for the Giants. That’s a stark contrast to what he said before the deal when he refused to move to first after Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury in May.

Devers initially balked at moving from third base to DH in spring training after the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract. Bregman won a Gold Glove Award last season while playing third base for the Houston Astros.

Don’t look for Devers at third base in San Francisco, with five-time Gold Glove Award winner Matt Chapman holding down the hot corner for the Giants. Chapman is under contract with the Giants through the 2030 season after signing a six-year, $151 million extension last fall.