Just a few short days ago, Rafael Devers was belting home runs and leading the Boston Red Sox to a sweep of their long-time rival, the New York Yankees. But on Friday night, Devers faced off against his former teammates for the first time.
The Red Sox made a visit to San Francisco to start a series with the Giants and Devers. In his first plate appearance against Hunter Dobbins, Devers grounded out to first baseman Abraham Toro.
Rafael Devers receives a big ovation before his first at-bat against his former team 👏 pic.twitter.com/07crQEj2zm
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 21, 2025
It was almost too ironic, as the main culprit behind the split between Devers and Boston was his unwillingness to move to first base. Devers has stated he will handle the position with his new team, though he was the designated hitter for this contest.
Rafael Devers brings Oracle Park to it's feet for his first AB against the Sox...
— NESN (@NESN) June 21, 2025
But it ends quickly with a groundout 😅 pic.twitter.com/rEo0MLKoG0
Devers also had to flyouts and another groundout in his three other at-bats heading into the eighth inning.
The 28-year-old from the Dominican Republic signed with the Red Sox as a 16-year-old in 2013 and made his professional debut in 2014. After a short stint in Triple-A, Devers made the big leagues, replacing former Giant star Pablo Sandoval at third base.
In 2023, Devers signed a 10-year, $313.5 million contract with the Red Sox that started the following season. But when the club signed Alex Bregman this offseason, things turned sour.
On June 15, Devers was shipped off to San Francisco for Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, James Tibbs III and Jose Bello. He had an RBI-double in his debut with the Giants.