Giants’ Rafael Devers Out for Season With Core Muscle Injury

Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers will miss the remainder of the season after being placed on the 60-day injured list with a core muscle injury.

Devers has dealt with the issue for much of the season but continued playing through it. The 29-year-old will travel to Philadelphia on Monday to meet with Dr. William Meyers for further evaluation. If surgery is recommended, the procedure is expected to take place Tuesday.

Giants manager Tony Vitello said the injury has bothered Devers for several years and that the team’s medical staff had worked throughout the season to manage the issue.

“He battled with it the entire year,” Vitello said. “I think it’s something that has bothered him for a few years now.”

Devers Finishes Season With 37 Home Runs

Devers was enjoying one of his best stretches of the season before the Giants shut him down.

He leads San Francisco with 37 home runs and 98 RBIs while batting .258 with an .865 OPS. He hit 11 home runs over his last 18 games, including homers in each of his final two appearances.

Devers had played in 148 of San Francisco’s first 149 games before sitting out Wednesday. His 37 home runs are the most by a Giants player since Barry Bonds hit 45 in 2004.

The slugger entered the season looking to build on his first full campaign with San Francisco after the Giants acquired him from the Boston Red Sox in June 2025. He is in the third season of a 10-year, $313.5 million contract.

Devers began the season slowly, batting .207 with two home runs through April, but steadily improved his production as the year progressed.

Giants Hope Devers Recovers for 2027

The Giants decided to shut Devers down now to give him enough time to recover ahead of next season.

Vitello said Devers wanted to continue playing but understood the need to address the lingering issue.

“I think he’s pretty geeked up about next year,” Vitello said. “His confidence in next year’s success gives me confidence.”

The Giants will now await Meyers’ evaluation to determine whether Devers needs surgery. Meyers recently performed season-ending core muscle surgery on Giants third baseman Matt Chapman.

Devers is under contract through 2033 and remains a major part of San Francisco’s long-term plans. The Giants hope he can return healthy and form a productive middle-of-the-order combination with fellow young first baseman Bryce Eldridge.

Scott Bandura Replaces Devers

San Francisco selected outfielder Scott Bandura from Triple-A Sacramento to fill Devers’ roster spot.

Bandura, a 2023 seventh-round pick out of Princeton, was batting .318 with 10 home runs for Sacramento before his promotion. He made his major league debut Sunday, starting at designated hitter against the San Diego Padres.

The promotion gives Bandura an opportunity to contribute as the Giants navigate a depleted roster late in the season.

Devers’ season ends with San Francisco losing one of its most productive hitters, but the organization’s priority is now getting its star slugger healthy enough to return for the 2027 campaign.

Leave a Reply