The Red Sox have placed star third baseman Rafael Devers on the 10-day injured list with right hamstring inflammation, per the team. In terms of corresponding moves, outfielder Jaylin Davis was promoted from Triple-A, and Enrique Hernandez was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Devers, still just 25 years old is putting together another All-Star campaign. To this point, he has hit an undeniable .324/.379/.602 with 22 home runs in 380 plate appearances. With those kinds of numbers, the Red Sox won’t want to be long without their superstar at the hot corner. At 48-46, Boston doesn’t have a whole lot of wiggle room either – not in the crowded AL East.
Kiké Hernandez has already missed 39 games, and he recently was pulled from a rehab assignment. Moving him to the 60-day injured list at this stage doesn’t mean a whole lot, though it does open the spot on the 40-man for the Davis promotion.
Davis, 28, is 2-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts on the year for Boston. This is his fourth season of big league action, the first three coming with the Giants. All in all, he’s had just 72 plate appearances in the Majors. The Red Sox claimed him off waivers from the Giants at the end of April. In Triple-A between the two clubs this season, David is slashing .247/.336/.404 across 268 plate appearances.
In terms of filling in for Devers, there’s little the Red Sox can do to fill that void. Jeter Downs could be given an opportunity for some significant run here in the Majors. Downs, of course, is most noteworthy for being a prime piece in the Mookie Betts deal. That makes him a complicated player for the Red Sox organization, but this might be a small-sample opportunity to let him play through some early ups and downs.