Rafael Devers DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora admitted on Wednesday that third baseman Rafael Devers will open the 2025 regular season as the team's regular designated hitter. "Alex Bregman is going to play third, Raffy's going to DH. We all are in the winning business. He understands that," Cora said. Devers said earlier this spring that he had no plans to DH and wanted to remain at third base despite battling through injuries to both of his shoulders in 2024 that kept him from swinging a bat until the start of spring training. Everything changed when the BoSox signed Bregman in free agency. With Devers at DH full time, Bregman will play the hot corner, giving prospect Kristian Campbell the runway to impress at second base. The 28-year-old Devers will still have 3B eligibility in fantasy this year, but that might not be the case in 2026, which would drastically affect his fantasy value.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers is very unlikely to play third base before the end of spring training, according to manager Alex Cora. Devers dealt with injuries to both of his shoulders last year and didn't resume swinging until the start of spring training, which resulted in him not making his Grapefruit League debut until just last weekend. Additionally, the BoSox signed third baseman Alex Bregman in the offseason, which makes Devers' move to more of a full-time role as the designated hitter more probable, even if Boston has yet to announce it. Not only is Bregman the better defender at the hot corner, but using Bregman at third and Devers at DH will open up a spot for prospect Kristian Campbell at second base. Devers is still a starting third baseman in all fantasy leagues, but it's possible that he could lose 3B eligibility going into 2026.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (shoulder) and outfielder Wilyer Abreu (illness) are in the starting lineup on Saturday. Devers will be the DH and bat in the two-hole while Abreu will cover right field and bat eighth. Devers has been dealing with a shoulder injury throughout most of camp. There have been reports that he could begin the season exclusively as a designated hitter. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but seeing him return to the starting lineup is a positive sign. Abreu battled an illness throughout camp and even lost some weight as a result. The team may opt to increase his workload slowly during the remainder of camp to ensure he is ready for Opening Day. During the regular season, Devers will likely see time at the hot corner and at DH while Abreu will see most of his starts in right field.