David Ortiz Says Rafael Devers Should Get Final Say on Position Amid Red Sox Injuries

Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz believes Rafael Devers should be able to decide whether he wants to remain as the designated hitter or play first base after first baseman Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury.

"He's doing great as the DH," Ortiz said Monday, per Ken Powtak of the Associated Press. "They asked for it, and he's doing great as the DH. Once (the) Casas situation goes down. ... In people's minds, it was: 'Devers goes to first and (Masataka) Yoshida goes to DH and we are a better team.'

"Yeah, that's what you put in your mind. But guess what? The kid was asked in spring training to just hit and now all of a sudden you want to switch him over. It takes time."

Devers started his career at third base, but Boston signed Alex Bregman to a three-year deal this offseason.

Powtak noted Devers "initially balked at the move to DH" following that signing, although he lately has made it clear he doesn't want to play first base following the Casas injury. In fact, he told the Red Sox as much last month.

Team owner John Henry, team president Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow even flew to meet with him and manager Alex Cora when the team was in Kansas City to face the Royals.

"In spring training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove," Devers told reporters around that time. "I wasn't going to play another position other than DH. Right now, I don't think it would be an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position."

While that approach may be causing some frustration on the Red Sox, Ortiz pointed out it was the team that initially asked him to switch to DH in the first place.

"We asked him to be the DH. Fully asked him to be the DH," he said. "I remember that conversation in spring training. It's a different situation and the guy's doing great at what you asked him for. He's giving you what you asked for, even if it wasn't what he was agreeing on."

It is hard to argue with the results for Devers.

Through 61 games, the three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger is slashing .286/.408/.515 with 12 home runs and a league-leading 52 RBI. He seems well on his way to reaching the 100-RBI milestone for the fourth time in his career and has been a key figure in Boston's lineup as the team fights for positioning in the American League East.

Despite his individual success, the Red Sox are just 29-32 and in fourth place in the division.