MLB Notebook: Rafael Devers' dramatic walk-off homer a ‘huge boost’ for the Red Sox, rookie works out at first base, rotation boost coming; a look around the league

The Red Sox’ dramatic comeback win on Saturday night could serve as a massive momentum builder for a team looking to string together consistent wins versus the .500 baseball they’ve been playing all season.

Rafael Devers was the hero, crushing his first career walk-off homer in the ninth, sending a 2-1 curveball from Braves reliever Pierce Johnson into the Sox’ bullpen. The thrilling blast lifted the Sox to a 7-6 win and avoided a five-game losing streak. Boston achieved their biggest comeback victory of the season, overcoming deficits of 5-0 and 6-2 in the game.

“We needed that one,” said a pleased Alex Cora following the game. “The big boy got a pitch he was able to handle and put a great swing on it.”

Devers doesn’t recall ever hitting a walk-off homer in the minors; his big blast was special for the slugger.

“Obviously very excited,” Devers said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. “For us to be able to come back and win this type of game means a lot.”

The Red Sox punished Johnson’s curveball during his outing, beginning in the eighth inning when Jarren Duran smoked a curveball into right field, scoring two runs and tying the game at 6-6. Devers would step to the plate, trying to give Boston a lead, but Duran was thrown out trying to steal second base.

“I went down to the tunnel to do my routine,” Devers said. “I saw how he pitched to Duran. I know his good pitch is his curveball, and I was ready for it.”

Johnson, who has thrown his curveball 70.5% this season, left one over the heart of the plate in the bottom of the ninth, and the dangerous Devers punished him.

“It’s very exciting to see a game like this,” Devers said. “Everybody’s competing every at-bat. To be able to come back and win a game like this is obviously a huge boost to our confidence.”

After starting the season 0-for-19 with 15 strikeouts, Devers has been on a tear at the plate, hitting .284 with eight homers, 13 doubles, 34 RBI, and a .896 OPS in 47 games.

“I feel very comfortable right now,” Devers said. “I have my routine. I go out there every day and do my routine to get ready and I feel very comfortable as a DH.”

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

Devers has hit 208 career homers and is two shy of tying Rico Petrocelli (210) to move into the top 10 on the Red Sox' all-time HR list. He's also five homers shy of tying Jim Rice (213) for the most in Sox’ history at the age of 28 or younger.

NO WALLY HEAD AFTER WALKOFF

One player missed the heroics. 

Duran was in the bathroom when Devers crushed his 402-foot homer into the bullpen.

“I heard people going crazy, so I had to wash my hands, run back up there, and grab the Wally head for him,” Duran said.

When a member of the Red Sox hits a homer, that player tosses the Wally head on in celebration. With Duran missing the homer, he improvised.

“I brought the Wally head out hoping I’d get it on him,” Duran said. “But things were going too crazy. I ended up wearing it during the celebration.”

Maybe Duran should run to the bathroom every time the Sox need a dramatic hit this season.

EXPLORING OPTIONS

It’s been two weeks since Triston Casas went down with a season-ending left knee injury, and the Red Sox are still looking for a viable replacement at first base.

In the short term, it started with a platoon of Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro. That was until Gonzalez landed on the injured list himself with a left-quad contusion, retroactive to May 8. Since then, Nick Sogard and Toro have been providing support, but the Sox require a definitive solution at the position. Given Rafael Devers' public declaration that he will not move off his role as the team's designated hitter, Boston is exploring alternative options.

Rookie Kristian Campbell, who has been the team’s primary second baseman while also seeing time in center field and left field, has begun to work with field instructor José Flores at first base.

“Yep, looking for options,” said Cora. “Obviously, we’re getting Romy [Gonzalez] back from the injured list probably at the end of the week, early next week. But we’re just introducing [Campbell] to first base to see how it looks. That’s where we’re at.”

The Red Sox have a well-documented lack of depth at the position, prompting them to explore unconventional options. Campbell could make some sense due to his athleticism and versatility; he’s played every position in the Red Sox system with the exception of catcher, pitcher, and first base.

“Whatever makes the team better, that's the position I’ll play,” said Campbell. “I'm used to second base because I played that in college. But whatever makes the team better at the time.”

Campbell’s outlook is refreshing following the fallout from Devers’ adamant refusal to learn another position. If Campbell starts spending more time at first base, Marcelo Mayer, a top infield prospect, could potentially earn a big league promotion and play second base.

Mayer was drafted as a shortstop, and it remains his natural position. The Red Sox have been looking at alternative options to open a path for the former first-round pick to land on the 26-man roster.

On Friday afternoon, before the series opener against the Braves at Fenway Park, we first saw Campbell taking reps at first base. He needed to borrow a glove from Flores prior to the workout.

“We’re working on that,” Campbell said. “I think I have my own on the way. I already have an infielder’s glove and an outfielder’s glove, so I might as well add a first-base [mitt].

Cora was vague about when Campbell would play first base, but said it was the start of acclimating the young star to the position.

“I mean, the process started, right?” said Cora. “It can take 10 days, 15 days, a month, two months. But we started the process and we're introducing him to first base.”

Once the Red Sox take the training wheels off for Campbell and he gets into a game at first base, he should assume a position similar to every other role he’s held as he climbed through the system. Even though the Red Sox will use Campbell at first, it shouldn’t stop Craig Breslow and company from exploring the trade market and adding if the team remains in playoff contention.

“I felt pretty comfortable,” said Campbell. “They do a really good job of introducing new things to me all the time. It’s just another position. I’ve got to learn the position. Obviously, it’s going to take some time. It’s something I’m willing to do to help the team.”

ROTATION BOOST

Red Sox righty Walker Buehler is expected to rejoin the starting rotation on Tuesday when the Mets come to town (series begins on Monday). The 30-year-old has been on the 15-day IL since May 2 after dealing with right shoulder bursitis.

He threw three innings (62 pitches) in live batting practice at Fenway Park on Thursday afternoon. Buehler thinks he can throw between 85 and 90 pitches on Tuesday versus New York.

Following the Sox placing Buehler on the IL, the hurler never thought his injury was serious, mentioning if it happened late in the season, he would have pitched through the discomfort.

"I don’t think if it was late in the year that we would necessarily have done the exact same things,” Buehler said here Saturday at Fenway Park. “But just too early in the year to kind of try and push it.”

Adding Buehler back to the rotation will be a significant boost after Tanner Houck landed on the IL with a right flexor pronator strain. The 28-year-old has no timeline for a return, but his latest MRI revealed his right elbow came back clean.

Buehler is 4-1 with a 4.28 ERA (33 2/3 innings), a 1.22 WHIP, 29 strikeouts, and nine walks in six starts.

Richard Fitts threw a 40-pitch live batting practice on Saturday before the Sox comeback win over the Braves. The 25-year-old has been on the shelf with a right pectoral strain since April 13 and said, “It went really well.”

“I haven’t had pain in about a week or two and am just building up from there,” Fitts said.

If everything continues to progress in the right direction, Fitts could make a rehab start late next week, potentially Friday. Fitts needs to sit down with Cora and Breslow and find out the plan for him as he looks to rejoin the club in the future.

“One hundred percent,” Fitts said. “I’m ready to get back and compete. And ready to help the team win as much as I can.”

Fitts was a bright spot in the rotation prior to his injury, pitching well in three starts, allowing just six runs in 17 innings, and pitching to a 3.18 ERA.

“I’m super eager, but I also want to make sure I’m ready whenever I get back,” Fitts said. “I don’t want to rush back and then not help the team win and go out there and underperform. So I want to be as ready as I can. I think it’s close, for sure.”

WOOSOX TIDBITS

- Roman Anthony has reached safely in 15 games in a row and in 32 of his last 33 games (since April 6). Among those 32 games on base, he has had 27 games with at least one hit and the other five games with at least one walk. 

He has hit safely in 19 of his last 22 games (28-for-77, .364) with 18 walks, three doubles, one triple, one home run, five RBI, and 18 runs scored.

- Marcelo Mayer saw his streak of reaching base in 22 straight games (beginning on May 11) come to end on Saturday. He has hit in 18 of his last 25 games (31-for-97, .320) with five doubles, one triple, six homers, 30 RBI, and 18 runs scored.  

- Nate Eaton owns a nine-game streak that dates back to May 7. He has hit in 15 of 19 with six doubles, two homers, and driven in 11 runs. 

- Nathan Hickey has hits in six of his last eight games (8-for-28, .286 batting average.) 

AROUND THE LEAGUE

- The Red Sox introduced their brand-new City Connect uniforms on Friday night. The club is calling it the “Fenway Greens,” and it’s a significant difference from their City Connect yellow and powder blue look. Boston will still use those as part of its "core offering" and will also sport them during the Boston Marathon weekend.

The new jerseys align more with the Red Sox and Fenway Park, with almost every element of the top featuring an aspect of the ballpark. With “Red Sox” across the chest in scoreboard font and the yellow number, it immediately connects with the Green Monster in left field. The jersey features a circle B sleeve patch and green and red dots that mimic the ball and strikes counter located on the left wall.

“Even when we went through the first City Connects in ’19 and ’20 before they launched ’21, we’d always wanted to do some sort of Fenway-centric uniform,” said Troup Parkinson, Red Sox executive Vice President of Chief Marketing and Partnerships Officer.

It took time for the Sox to be able to make a Fenway-focused jersey due to the color not being on the Pantone Matching System color chart.

“If we were gonna do a jersey that was really centered around Fenway Park and the Green Monster and really Fenway green, it was about the color, which is such a hard color to match,” Parkinson said. “It’s not readily available.

“We had to get the color right, or we couldn’t do it. So we were kind of finally able to pull it off.”

- Rob Manfred, the commissioner of MLB, surprised the baseball world earlier this week by announcing anyone placed on the sport’s permanently ineligible list would be reinstated upon their death. As a result, Pete Rose, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, and others are now effectively back in the game’s good graces and eligible for Hall of Fame consideration.

"Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game," Manfred wrote in a letter to attorney Jeffrey M. Lenkov, who petitioned for Rose's removal from the list Jan. 8. "Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve.

"Therefore, I have concluded that permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual, and Mr. Rose will be removed from the permanently ineligible list."

Even though Rose and others are now eligible for a spot in Cooperstown, there is no guarantee they’ll get in due to having their candidacy go before an “era committee” of 16 people versus the Baseball Writers Association of America.

The earliest that Rose and others could be enshrined is the summer of 2028 if they’re elected.

- The Orioles fired manager Brandon Hyde on Saturday after the team started 15-28 to begin the season. Baltimore is dead last in the American League East. 

Third base coach Tony Mansolino will serve as the interim manager. 

"The poor start to our season is ultimately my responsibility," Orioles general manager Mike Elias said in a statement. "Part of that responsibility is pursuing difficult changes in order to set a different course for the future. I want to thank Brandon for his hard work, dedication and passion after all these years, and for returning the team to the playoffs and winning an AL East championship."

The talent-rich Orioles roster had underperformed all season following a 91-win season last year, before they were swept out of the postseason by the Royals. 

Hyde’s dismissal comes just two weeks after Elias said he was “very confident” in his skipper. If the Orioles continue to struggle Elias could be the next one on the chopping block. 

- Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani threw a 50-pitch bullpen session Saturday, making another step in his throwing program to pitch for Los Angeles following elbow surgery. He threw a two-inning simulated outing, throwing 25 pitches, rested, and then threw another 25. As a pitcher for the Angels, the right-hander went 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings.

- Veteran lefty Clayton Kershaw began his 18th MLB season on the IL, recovering from toe and knee surgeries. He made five rehab starts and went 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in 21 frames. He was activated on Saturday and went four innings, giving up five runs off five hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

"I've been super grateful for the Dodgers to keep giving me these opportunities to come out and pitch," Kershaw said Friday (via MLB.com). "That's just what I want to do. I want to go out there and pitch. I think the longevity part is just about honoring your commitment more than anything."

- The Phillies have suspended pitcher Jose Alvarado for 80 games without pay after he tested positive for exogenous testosterone, a performance-enhancing substance. His suspension will begin immediately. He will also be ineligible to pitch in the postseason for the Phillies should they get there.