Rafael Devers took four straight balls for a six-pitch walk on Sunday to reach first base as the game-tying run against the Miami Marlins.
When he got there, the San Francisco Giants slugger didn’t didn’t want to leave.
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Devers reached first via a leadoff walk. With Miami holding a 2-1 lead, Giants manager Tony Vitello called for Jonah Cox to replace him as a pinch runner.
Devers was not having it. As soon as Cox left the dugout, Devers turned back and waved his index finger, signaling to Cox not to approach first base. He then turned back toward the playing field as if the matter was settled.
When Cox reached first base, Devers repeatedly waved him back to the dugout. Devers eventually conceded — the decision was made — and pouted as he walked back to the dugout. When he got there, he dodged a friendly pat from a staffer in the dugout.
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This was a standard decision. Devers is not a strong runner. Cox is a rookie speedster who stole 163 bases in four minor league seasons. The Giants had three outs to plate the game-tying run, and Cox gave them the best chance to do so.
The Giants didn’t get another baserunner, and the game ended on a double-play to secure a 2-1 Marlins win.
This is the kind of thing that can sometimes be written off as no big deal. But given the circumstances that brought Devers to San Francisco in the first place, it will surely be a topic of conversation around the Giants.
Devers was a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger for the Red Sox before his relationship with the team deteriorated and prompted Boston to send him to San Francisco last offseason.
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Devers played eight seasons at third base for Boston. The Red Sox signed Alex Bregman prior to the 2025 season and placed him at third base. Bregman was a three-time Gold Glove winner and indisputably a much stronger player at the position than Devers.
Devers publicly protested the decision on multiple occasions and initially said that he would refuse to make any move away from third base. He ultimately played 73 games at designated hitter in 2025. But the situation became untenable, and the Red Sox traded him ahead of the in-season trade deadline.
Now Devers is in his first full season in San Francisco, and the Giants are struggling. Sunday’s loss placed them at 31-46 and in fourth place in the NL West, 17.5 games behind the first-place Dodgers.
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Vitello downplayed the incident in his postgame media scrum and told reporters he’d rather have a player who fought to stay on the field rather than the other way around.
“You know how competitive he is, he wants to stay in the game,” Vitello said. … “We talk every day. I’m good.”
This is a situation worth monitoring as the season continues.
