That’s right. At long last, Rafael Devers is making a start at first base for the San Francisco Giants.
In the San Francisco Giants official lineup against the Atlanta Braves for their game on Tuesday July 22, 2025, Devers is batting third and playing first base.
Devers famously refused to play first base for the Boston Red Sox after a long beef between him and Boston about what position he wanted to play. He then did a complete 180 when he signed with San Francisco, telling them he’d play wherever manager Bob Melvin wanted him to.
That has come to fruition. Giants fans will get to see their new star get his first crack at first base on Tuesday. And Red Sox fans will likely be frustrated seeing their former franchise player willing to help the Giants in a way he was never willing to do for the Sox.
This Comes Amid Devers, Defense Struggles
Rafael Devers hasn’t been great since the Red Sox shipped him to San Francisco.
In 29 games, Raffy has hit .219 with only 2 home runs and 10 RBI. He hasn’t hit a home run since June 26 against the Miami Marlins.
It’s likely that Devers is still adjusting to his new home in San Francisco. Players often struggle in the immediate aftermath of big trades. He’s likely to turn it around for the rest of his long contract in San Francisco which ends in 2033.
The Giants have also struggled mightily as a team on the defensive side of the ball recently, especially in the outfield. Getting Devers some starts at 1B may be a way for the Giants to keep Heliot Ramos’s bat in the lineup at DH while letting another outfielder with a better glove man left field.
For this game, Melvin slotted Wilmer Flores in as the Giants’ DH. He has recently shared time at first base with Dominic Smith while Devers has held down the DH spot.
But Giants fans could easily imagine a scenario where Devers plays first, Ramos is at DH and Luis Matos plays left field. It would be a welcome sight amid Ramos’s outfield struggles.
Does This Move Make Dominic Smith Obsolete?
Fans of Dominic Smith have cause to be worried about his future in San Francisco after seeing Devers ready to play first.
After all, Smith is a power-hitting, left-handed first baseman. If Devers can play first base even 50% of the time and Flores can man first the other 50%, it’s going to be hard for Smith to find at-bats.
Dominic Smith has become something of a fan favorite in San Francisco after he came out of free agency and helped rejuvenate the Giants season at a key time. Overall, he’s hit .250 with 2 home runs and 10 RBIs in 30 games with the Giants this season.
@mlbonfox There it is 😤 #DominicSmith #SanFranciscoGiants #Giants #baseball #MLB #ColoradoRockies #Rockies #homerun
But Smith is a better defender than both Devers and Flores. He could hold a lot of value as a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch hitter, one of the best in the MLB. Those kinds of players hold a lot of value come playoff time.
Smith has also resurrected his trade value should the Giants want to package him in a deal to acquire a reliable pitcher from a noncontending team.
What do you think, Giants fans? Will the Giants keep Dominic Smith? Are you excited to see Rafael Devers try first base?
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post San Francisco Giants Star Rafael Devers Is Doing What He Refused to In Boston appeared first on Heavy Sports.