Rafael Devers' first-base debut leads to success at plate as Giants drub Braves

Rafael Devers’ first-base debut leads to success at plate as Giants drub Braves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Entering Tuesday on a six-game losing streak, the Giants desperately needed to switch something up.

Having your star slugger play a new position for the first time in his career might not be the obvious move to help turn things around, but that’s exactly what San Francisco manager Bob Melvin did.

And the early returns couldn’t have been much better, as the Giants shellacked the Atlanta Braves 9-0 at Truist Park to end their July slide.

Landen Roupp’s five shutout innings certainly deserve credit, but at the forefront of the momentum-shifting win were Rafael Devers and Wilmer Flores, who traded places for a night to great success.

Devers had never played first base at any level in his career and hadn’t appeared in the field at all this season prior to Tuesday night. He was hardly tested with minimal defensive action in his debut, but his mere presence on the field could lead to a resurgence at the plate.

Primarily a third baseman during his tenure with the Boston Red Sox, Devers was asked postgame if he believes his offense is better when he’s playing in the field rather than serving as a designated hitter.

“Definitely. It keeps me active,” Devers told reporters, speaking through translator Erwin Higueros. “It keeps my head out of just thinking about the next at bat. I’m the kind of player that likes to be active, likes to be on the field. I’d rather be on the field than be in the cage hitting all the time and just thinking about the next at bat.”

It’s only one game, but the results backed up that intuition. Devers entered the night with just a .667 OPS in 29 games with the Giants — all at DH. On Tuesday, he went 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. Over his entire career, meanwhile, Devers’ OPS improves by about 18 points playing in the field compared to DHing.

Though his defensive fit this season was the center of much discourse in Boston, Devers’ eagerness to play first base with the Giants has been clear.

In fact, Devers revealed Tuesday he ordered a first baseman’s glove right away after he arrived in San Francisco.

The three-time All-Star also might not be the sole beneficiary of Melvin’s defensive swap.

In recent weeks, Flores has been tasked with playing first base more often, which has coincided with a drop in his offensive production. But in his first game as a DH since June 15, Flores hit his first home run since June 7, a three-run blast in the seventh inning that put the game to bed. He also added a sacrifice fly in the second despite being behind in the count 0-2.

“Flo, his numbers DHing have been really good, and he hits another home run tonight,” Melvin said postgame. “So it’s good to be able to get him off his feet.”

Flores, who turns 34 in two weeks, has struggled with injuries later in his career. In 2024, he struggled with a career-low .206 average in just 71 games as he dealt with a nagging knee injury. So, as the Giants enter the final third of the MLB season, it might not hurt to put their best clutch hitter in a more relaxed situation.

Melvin mentioned Devers will return to DH on Wednesday, while Flores will get the day off. Nevertheless, how the Giants manage two of their most important hitters in the field could be a big storyline to watch during the rest of the year.

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Rafael Devers’ first-base debut leads to success at plate as Giants drub Braves

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