MLB Notebook: Rafael Devers’ Fenway return comes full circle; Ketel Marte saga gets stranger; Red Sox' Franklin Arias skyrockets

The Red Sox welcomed Rafael Devers and the Giants to Fenway Park on Friday night, marking the first time Devers had played in Boston since his stunning trade to San Francisco last summer.

The 29-year-old said before the game that he has no regrets about how his Red Sox tenure ended. He’s happy in San Francisco, though he acknowledged he has learned plenty over the past year.

“I don’t want to think about the past,” he said through a team interpreter. “I don’t want to talk about the past. But at the same time, we’re all men, we’re all grown-ups. We have to understand this is the business of baseball, but at the same time, you make mistakes, and you have to move on and mature.”

“I feel really good; I think I have matured during the year,” he added. “I think that I have learned. As an athlete, there’s things that are going to happen, and what you have to do is move forward and learn from that.”

Devers batted second for the Giants and was greeted by a smattering of boos in his first trip to the plate. The reception warmed considerably after the inning when the Red Sox played a tribute video honoring his time in Boston. Devers stepped to the dugout railing, waved to the crowd and received a round of applause.

In his second plate appearance, Devers reminded everyone that he's still a dangerous bat in any lineup. 

Devers walked in his second plate appearance before crushing his 26th homer of the season, a solo shot to center in the fourth that pulled San Francisco within a run. It was his only hit of the night as Boston went on to win, 6-4.

For all the ugliness surrounding his departure, Devers accomplished plenty in a Red Sox uniform. He spent nine seasons in Boston, made five All-Star teams and was part of the 2018 World Series championship club.

But his relationship with the organization deteriorated during his final months in Boston.

After the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman, Devers was moved off third base and told he would become the everyday designated hitter. The situation became even messier when Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury, and the club asked Devers to begin taking ground balls at first base. Devers declined, and by Father’s Day, he was headed to San Francisco in a five-player trade.

Devers has since become a first baseman, appearing in 117 games at the position since joining the Giants, including 89 this season, and owns minus-1 Outs Above Average there. Devers once posted 18 OAA at third base for Boston in 2019, but never finished better than minus-2 in any of his other seasons at the position.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, have dealt with their own revolving door on the right side of the infield. They finally appear to have some stability at first with Willson Contreras, who has not only become Boston's biggest power threat but has played the position at a Gold Glove-caliber level.

Third base belongs to Caleb Durbin after Bregman walked to Wrigley Field in free agency this offseason. 

In some ways, the Devers saga already feels like it happened much longer than a year ago. The roster around him has changed dramatically. Durbin is the everyday third baseman, Contreras has become a centerpiece of the lineup, and Devers is playing first base on the other side of the country.

Even Devers' future in San Francisco isn't necessarily certain after the Giants reportedly explored the possibility of moving him at the trade deadline.

Players come and go in Boston, even ones who once appeared destined to spend their entire careers here. How the Devers era ended will probably remain a point of contention for years. Some fans believe Devers quit on the organization. Others place the blame on ownership and the front office for how poorly the situation was communicated and handled after the Bregman signing.

Both sides can debate that breakup forever, like the Mookie Betts trade five years earlier. 

On Friday, Devers got his tribute, heard some boos and some cheers, then hit a home run in the ballpark he once called home. And when the night was over, he went back to the visitors' clubhouse, and the Red Sox secured the win. 

Ketel Marte Saga Gets Stranger

The strange situation surrounding Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte took another turn Friday night.

According to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, Marte spent roughly four hours at a local casino while the Diamondbacks were hosting the Reds at Chase Field. Photos of Marte at the casino also circulated on social media.

Marte is currently on the 10-day injured list with left knee inflammation and had worked out earlier Friday at Arizona’s Salt River Fields complex. Manager Torey Lovullo said before the game he remained hopeful Marte’s IL stint would be close to the minimum.

What Marte does away from the ballpark while injured normally wouldn’t generate this much attention. But this comes just days after his absence from Fenway Park.

Marte was expected to be in Arizona’s lineup Monday against the Red Sox but never showed up to the ballpark. The Diamondbacks didn’t submit their lineup until shortly before first pitch as the club scrambled to adjust.

He was initially placed on the restricted list before his agent said Marte was dealing with both a personal matter and a knee injury that required an MRI. He was subsequently transferred to the injured list.

Marte met with Diamondbacks leadership Thursday in an attempt to clear the air. Lovullo later acknowledged that a lack of communication helped turn the situation into something much bigger.

“Probably a little misunderstanding and a lot of frustration on Ketel’s part,” Lovullo said. “He wasn’t feeling great with his knee. Admittedly handled it wrong.”

Lovullo was also unusually candid about how Marte’s disappearance affected him personally.

“Once I saw what was unfolding, I became extremely frustrated,” Lovullo said. “I felt betrayed. That’s a whole different type of pain and frustration.”

That frustration apparently extended into the clubhouse.

Reliever Kevin Ginkel, Marte’s teammate since 2019, publicly expressed