When Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas collapsed on the field after a collision with Minnesota Twins first baseman Ty France on May 2, the team, and its fans, knew immediately that the situation was desperate.
Casas suffered a ruptured patellar tendon. Two days later, he underwent surgery to repair the tendon and was officially ruled out for the remainder of the 2025 season.
But who would play first base now? Despite having what Baseball America rates as the top minor league system in baseball, the organization’s depth at the first base position is not great.
The Red Sox called up Abraham Toro, who had been a non-roster invitee to spring training, to fill in at first. But with the Red Sox expected to fight for a playoff spot all season, Toro does not appear to be a long-term answer.
Who’s On First For Red Sox?
So who is?
On Thursday, following the Red Sox 5-0 day-game victory over the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park, the team’s star designated hitter Rafael Devers provided at least a partial answer.
It won’t be him.
“I know I’m a ballplayer, but at the same time, they can’t expect me to play every single position out there,” Devers said through a translator, as quoted by Boston Globe reporter Alex Speier. “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.”
Devers said that his stance did not affect his relationship with his Red Sox teammates. His problem is with Breslowm he said, as quoted by MassLive reporter Christopher Smith.
“Here in the clubhouse thankfully the relationship that I have with my teammates is great. I don’t understand some of the decisions that the GM makes. Next thing you know someone in the outfield gets hurt and they want me to play in the outfield. I think I know the kind of player I am. And yeah, that’s just where I stand.”
Devers prior to 2025 had served as DH in only 21 of his 917 major league games, all with the Red Sox. He had been Boston’s regular third baseman since arriving in the big leagues in 2017 at age 20. But this year, Boston’s signing of free agent Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman caused the organization to switch Devers to designated hitter — a change that he initially refused.
Translation of Devers Statements Disputed
Devers is in the second season of a 10-year, $313.5 million contract with the Red Sox
But one Spanish-speaking Red Sox fan who manages a popular account on X (formerly Twitter) disputed that Devers had taken a hard line against playing first. Devers said only that he cannot be expected to take over the position immediately, the account posted.
One thing that was not in dispute, however, was that Devers is clearly unhappy with the Red Sox front office, specifically Chief of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow.
“I’m not certain what (issue) he has with me,” Devers said, in a translation quoted by Speier. “He played ball, and I would like to think that he knows that changing positions like that isn’t easy.”
Devers, according to media reports, told reporters that Breslow and the Red Sox management should “do their job” and “hit the market,” presumably to sign or trade for a first baseman.
Devers has hit 205 home runs in his career, now in its ninth year, including five this season so far. He also leads the American League in walks with 28.
Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. Vankin is also the author of five nonfiction books on a variety of topics, as well as nine graphic novels including most recently “Last of the Gladiators” published by Dynamite Entertainment. More about Jonathan Vankin
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