Rafael Devers News: Strikeouts piling up

Devers went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Rangers.

Devers' first two games in a new role as the designated hitter have not been pretty. He's 0-for-8 with seven strikeouts (six swinging). While some may conclude the adjustment from playing the field to being a batter only has impacted Devers, Red Sox manager Alex Cora summed it up quite succinctly to Ian Browne of MLB.com. "Not catching up with the fastball," Cora said. "It's very simple. [He's getting] 3-2 counts. The at-bats are OK, but not being able to cash in." Devers didn't disagree with the manager. He dealt with injuries to both shoulders during spring training, which delayed his Grapefruit League debut until March 15, and finished the spring with just 15 plate appearances. That could be part of the issue, although Devers said he did the necessary work on his swing on the back fields.