The Boston Red Sox’s 11-7 win over the New York Yankees on Sunday night wasn’t without some controversy.
In the sixth inning with two outs, Rafael Devers hit a slow roller to Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu. LeMahieu charged the ball and tossed it to first for the out, ending the inning and stranding two runners.
While likely to be out in any case, Devers appeared to stop running well before reaching first base when there was a chance he was safe at first. ESPN’s broadcast showed Devers and Red Sox manager Alex Cora exchange words in the dugout after the inning,
After the game, MassLive’s Christopher Smith reported that Devers’ reason for slowing down was “not a lack of hustle.”
Devers remained in the game and even hit a towering home run in his next at-bat to extend the Red Sox’s lead.
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Cora downplayed a potential injury, although it’s difficult to imagine another reason for Devers’ slow jog to first base. Some have noted that the slugger has been seen tending to his left leg in recent days.
Devers has dealt with injuries throughout his career and has often played through them. Last season, he notably dealt with a shoulder injury for a large part of the season but continued to play until the team was out of postseason contention.
If Devers does need to spend time on the injured list, Masataka Yoshida could take his place on the roster. Yoshida still isn’t available to play the field as he rehabs an injured shoulder, but was able to hit in spring training. The other obvious answer would be the game’s top prospect, Roman Anthony. That said, it does appear to be an injury Cora and Co. are concerned about.
The Red Sox return to Boston to take on the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.
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