When the Giants announced on Sunday that Rafael Devers was done for the 2026 MLB season due to a core-muscle injury, it was clear they wanted to get a head start on his rehab from an ailment that nagged him all season as they look ahead to 2027.
San Francisco’s star slugger had surgery to fix the issue Tuesday, and the team shared Devers now faces a three-month recovery timeline — putting him on track to complete much of it with Dave Groeschner and the Giants’ rehab group before MLB’s looming labor battle potentially begins on Dec. 1.
Giants say the recovery timeline for Rafael Devers, who had core muscle surgery today, is three months. That explains some of the urgency … he’ll be able to get through just about all of that before a lockout.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) September 15, 2026
Devers was on a red-hot tear before the team shut him down for the remainder of the year, crushing 12 homers over his final 21 games and nearly becoming the first Giants player to hit 40 home runs in a single campaign since Barry Bonds hit 45 in 2004. Devers finished just three shy of that mark with 37 before he was placed on the injured list.
“What led into the strategy of when and where and how was to make sure [Devers] gets everything he needs prior to next season,” Giants manager Tony Vitello told reporters Sunday. “As much as he was enjoying himself this year and obviously performing well, I think he’s pretty geeked up about next year and his confidence in next year’s success gives me confidence.”
With their current timeline, the Giants and Devers appear on track for him to be ready by spring training and chase 40 homers again in 2027.
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