{"id":45691,"date":"2025-04-01T01:03:54","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T01:03:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=45691"},"modified":"2025-04-01T01:03:54","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T01:03:54","slug":"red-sox-alex-cora-rules-out-2-potential-causes-for-rafael-devers-slump-bat-speed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=45691","title":{"rendered":"Red Sox\u2019 Alex Cora rules out 2 potential causes for Rafael Devers\u2019 slump\/bat speed"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BALTIMORE \u2014 Through Rafael Devers\u2019 first four games, he ranked in just the 30th percentile among major league hitters in bat speed (70.3).<\/p>\n

He continued to have difficulty catching up to pitches Monday in Boston\u2019s 8-5 loss to the Orioles here at Camden Yards. He went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and two walks.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s 0-for-19 with 15 strikeouts in five games. It\u2019s a historically bad start for the 28-year-old left-handed slugger.<\/p>\n

Manager Alex Cora \u2014 who said he saw some positives Monday \u2014 talked over the weekend about the Red Sox identifying something in his setup\/mechanics that needs to be fixed.<\/p>\n

Cora ruled out two potential causes for the slump when asked after Monday\u2019s loss if the decline in Devers\u2019 bat speed has to do just with his mechanics being out whack or maybe something else like his shoulders. Could there still be a lingering effect?<\/p>\n

Devers eased his way into spring training after injuries to both shoulders ended his 2024 season prematurely.<\/p>\n

\u200a\u201cIt\u2019s not the shoulder. It\u2019s not the DH thing,\u201d Cora said. \u201cAnd he was very vocal about it a few days ago. And the shoulder, he\u2019s fine. Now it\u2019s a matter of keep working hard but getting to the point of hitting the ball out in front. That\u2019s it. If you look from the side, it\u2019s behind sometimes more than others.”<\/p>\n

It is Devers\u2019 first year as the full-time DH and he needs to find a routine. But as Cora said, \u201cthe DH thing\u201d is not the reason for the slump \u2014 and Devers hasn\u2019t used it as an excuse.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m feel comfortable with everything I\u2019m doing right now,\u201d Devers said Monday through translator Carlos Villoria Ben\u00edtez. \u201cIt\u2019s not a position that I\u2019ve done in the past. So I need to get used to it. But I feel good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cora saw a swing during Devers\u2019 ninth inning plate appearance that showed the slugger might be turning a corner. He fouled off the fifth pitch, a 97.8 mph sinker, to left field before walking on the sixth pitch.<\/p>\n

\u200a\u201cThere was one swing the last at-bat that I was like, \u2018OK. we\u2019re getting there.\u2019 The foul ball to left field,\u201d Cora said. \u201cHe was behind the ball and he actually got the barrel to it. Good at-bat, too. He walked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cora said Devers is at his best when driving the ball to the opposite field.<\/p>\n

\u201dThat\u2019s Raffy\u2019s superpower is left-center,” Cora said. \u201cHe\u2019s never been a pull hitter, right? He pulls the ball in the air when it\u2019s soft or in certain venues. … But when he drives the ball to left-center, it\u2019s when he\u2019s locked in. And we haven\u2019t seen that yet.”<\/p>\n

Devers said he felt good during all his five plate appearances Monday. He said he thinks his at-bats are improving.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never change the way I hit,\u201d Devers said. \u201cI\u2019m still aggressive. … Maybe I\u2019m thinking too much on what the pitcher might throw or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cora pointed to Devers having four walks in his first five games.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, the strikeouts are up there and … we\u2019ll find it mechanically,\u201d Cora said. \u201cThe good thing is that he\u2019s not chasing pitches. He\u2019s swinging at pitches in the zone. Obviously the bad thing is he\u2019s swinging and missing (at) those pitches. But there were some positives today and we just build from that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Red Sox have Tuesday off. They will face the Orioles here again Wednesday at 6:35 p.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s gonna keep playing,\u201c Cora said. \u201cWe\u2019re gonna play him. He\u2019s gonna hit second for us. And he will hit. No doubt about it. That\u2019s something that we all know. It\u2019s just a matter of when. And it\u2019s a small sample size. If this happens in July or August, we\u2019ll not even be talking about it. But it\u2019s early in the season and of course everybody is paying attention to it.”<\/p>\n