After declining to do so for the Boston Red Sox, Rafael Devers has put on his glove to play first base for the San Francisco Giants.
Devers started at first base Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves. The game marked the first time in his career that Devers played the position. And it’s the first time this season that he played in the field at any position after a contentious dispute with the Red Sox over where he would play.
His night in the field was uneventful. He went 2 for 4 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI in a 9-0 Giants win. After the game, he told reporters that playing in the field helps him at the plate.
Rafael Devers explains how playing in the field, rather than DHing, benefits his hitting pic.twitter.com/6vRFSSkrdM
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 23, 2025
“It keeps me active,” he said, through an interpreter. “It keeps my head out of just thinking about the next at-bat. I’m the kind of player that likes to be active, likes to be on the field.
“I’d rather be on the field than in the cage hitting all the time and just thinking about the next at-bat.”
A three-time All-Star slugger, Devers played eight-plus seasons with the Red Sox, primarily as their third baseman. His relationship with the Sox deteriorated this season due to a conflict about playing in the field.
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Dispute over position landed Devers in SF
Boston signed two-time Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman in the offseason, a move that ultimately put the Red Sox in a precarious position. Bregman was the no-brainer choice to play third instead of Devers, who is statistically one of the worst third basemen in baseball.
Devers was also the most veteran Red Sox presence in Boston’s clubhouse and the only remaining member of Boston’s 2018 World Series championship team. And he didn’t want to give up his position.
Devers said in spring training that he was not open to moving to designated hitter to make way for Bregman on the field. Even so, Bregman started the season at third base, and Devers moved to DH against his wishes.
Then the Red Sox lost first baseman Triston Casas to injury for the rest of the season. Devers told reporters at that point that the Red Sox asked him to take over at first base, and he refused, with the following explanation:
“They came to me and talked to me about it,” Devers told reporters on May 8 of the request to play first. “I know I’m a ballplayer, but at the same time, they can’t expect me to play every single position out there.
“In spring training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove. I wasn’t going to play another position other than DH. Right now, I don’t think it would be an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position.”
Devers remained at designated hitter and played all 73 of his games for Boston this season at DH. The dispute ultimately compelled the Red Sox to trade him to the Giants in June.
Since joining the Giants, Devers has appeared at DH. But San Francisco made the move Tuesday to try him in the field.
Wilmer Flores and Dominic Smith previously split time at first base for the Giants this season. On Tuesday, Smith was not in the lineup, and Flores was batting sixth, taking Devers’ usual place as San Francisco’s designated hitter.
