Rafael Devers reluctantly agreed to become a designated hitter this spring. He has no interest in going back in the field now.
In his first public comments since the season-ending injury to teammate Triston Casas, Devers — after a 2-for-3 performance that included an opposite-field homer and walk in helping the Red Sox to a 5-0 victory over the Rangers Thursday — said he was approached over the weekend by Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow about learning to play first. Devers rejected the idea, and said he was upset the team broached the topic.
“I’m a ballplayer, but at the same time, they can’t expect me to play every single position out there,” Devers said in remarks relayed by a team translator. “In spring training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove, that I wasn’t going to play any other position but DH, so right now, I just feel like it’s not an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position.”
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