Rafael Devers Says He's 'Very Comfortable' as Red Sox DH After Move from 3B

Rafael Devers is quickly becoming a natural at designated hitter — and Saturday’s heroics only added to the case. The Red Sox slugger launched a walk-off home run to lift Boston past the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park, solidifying his growing comfort in his new role.

"I feel very comfortable right now," Devers said through a team interpreter before the game. "I have my routine and go out there every day and do my routine to get ready and I feel very comfortable as a DH."

Devers, who shifted from third base after the team acquired Alex Bregman, initially resisted the move to DH. But now, he says he’s “very comfortable” — and he’s proving it with his bat.

"Obviously, very excited because of the type of game," Devers said. "For us to be able to come back and win this type of game means a lot. And also to get it going with the team to get everybody excited."

After a historically slow start at designated hitter, Devers has caught fire. The 28-year-old has reached base in 19 of his last 20 games, hitting .397 with six home runs and 20 RBI during that stretch.

On Saturday, he delivered his first career walk-off homer — a solo shot that sealed a 7-6 win over the Braves and snapped the Red Sox’s four-game skid.

Manager Alex Cora had high praise for Devers, who has been silencing critics with his performance at the plate. Devers faced backlash for refusing to move to first base after Triston Casas went down with a season-ending knee injury, but he’s let his bat do the talking.

"He's been swinging the bat well, taking his walks. That first weekend, whoever has an explanation of what happened there, give me a call and explain it because it was hard to see it, and then he just changed. He's been really good," Cora told reporters.

"He has his routine down," Cora continued. "He cares about us, he cares about the team and he wants to win. Right now, like I said before, he's our DH and he's done an outstanding job. ... He's probably the best DH in the American League right now."