The San Francisco Giants will finish out the year without their best hitter. Alex Pavlovic reports that Rafael Devers will be placed on the injured list with a core muscle injury. Devers will see a specialist, and surgery may be on the table.
Devers had been playing through a core muscle injury for most of the season. Despite the injury, his first full season in San Francisco has been a resounding success. Devers slashed .258/.340/.525 with 36 doubles, 37 home runs, and a 135 wRC+ over 148 games.
It marked the sixth straight season in which Devers suited up for 143 or more games. The 29-year-old has been a reliable run producer, with at least 27 home runs and 83 RBI in all six of those seasons.
While his season has come to a premature end, the Giants have to be pleased with what Devers gave them in 2026. Especially considering he was willing to play through an injury and remained mostly productive.
Giants Announce Rafael Devers Roster Move Before Padres Finale
The Giants later announced that Rafael Devers will go on the 60-day injured list. The move puts an official end to his season.
With the Giants at a 62-87 record and already removed from postseason contention, it just made sense to shut down Devers. He already made franchise history this year, becoming the seventh player to record a single season of 35 home runs and 35 doubles.
That’s a feat done by MLB Hall of Famers Jeff Kent, Willie Mays, Mel Ott, and Willie McCovey. And also done by perhaps the greatest Giants hitter of all time, Barry Bonds.
As the corresponding move, the Giants will promote Scott Bandura to the major leagues. The 2023 seventh-rounder would have become Rule 5 eligible in the offseason, but the club has made that 40-man roster decision two months in advance.
Bandura has enjoyed a strong 2026 season campaign. Between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento, the 25-year-old has slashed .320/.407/.488 with 13 home runs, 34 stolen bases, and a 137 wRC+. Those numbers easily justify his big-league promotion.
What’s Next for Rafael Devers?
The good news for Rafael Devers and the Giants is that this should not impact his 2027 availability. The 29-year-old will have a decision on whether to get surgery to address the core muscle injury he’s played through this season.
If Devers does elect surgery, it will shelve him for roughly 2-3 months. It took Trevor Story a little more than three months to recover from his surgery, so the Giants should have a good idea of their star slugger’s timeline.
It’s unclear what his offseason regimen is, but he should be a full go by Christmas time. That should enable him to prepare for the 2027 season. The best-case scenario is he’s a full go when full-squad workouts begin in mid-February.
The Giants still owe Devers $199.5 million. They assumed the full remainder when they acquired him from the Boston Red Sox last June. But if he continues to maintain his 2021-2026 production at the plate, that shouldn’t be a concern for the organization.
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