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BOSTON — Rafael Devers is the Boston Red Sox‘s designated hitter.

And he’s not interested in another position switch.

Speaking with reporters for the first time since Triston Casas was ruled out for the season after rupturing his left knee tendon and undergoing surgery, Devers said Thursday that Red Sox management approached him about the idea of filling in as Boston’s first baseman.

Devers, a three-time All-Star, said he doesn’t see it in his best interest to make another position switch after being asked to move from third base to DH during spring training after the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to play third.

“They came to me and talked to me about it,” Devers said after homering and driving in two in Boston’s 5-0 win over Texas.

“I know I’m a ballplayer, but at the same time, they can’t expect me to play every single position out there. In spring training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove. I wasn’t going to play another position other than DH. Right now, I don’t think it would be an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position.”

Devers said he spoke with Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow about the prospect of playing first in Casas’ absence.

For now, Boston is filling the first-base spot with a platoon of Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro.

“He [Breslow] played ball. I would like to think that he knows that changing positions isn’t easy,” Devers said through Red Sox interpreter Daveson Perez.

“They put me in this situation. They told me they didn’t want me to play any other positions.”

Devers offered a suggestion to Breslow, who pitched 12 major league seasons and was a key member of Boston’s bullpen when the team won the World Series in 2013. Breslow is in his second season leading the Red Sox’s baseball operations department.

“Now, they should do their jobs essentially and hit the market and look for another player. I’m not sure why they want me to be an in-between,” Devers said. “Next thing you know, someone in the outfield gets hurt and they want me to play in the outfield. I know the kind of player that I am, and that’s where I stand.”

Asked about changing his mind in the event the Red Sox receive little production from the current group of first basemen, Devers reiterated that he’s a full-time DH.

He also said he was upset that Boston would consider having him take over a position where he has logged zero innings as a big leaguer.

“They told me that I’m a little hard-headed, but they already asked me to change [positions] once. This time, I don’t think I can be as flexible,” Devers said. “I don’t feel they stayed true to their word. They told me I was going to play this position, DH. Now they’re going back on that.”

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Rangers keep slumping slugger Garcia on bench

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Rangers keep slumping slugger Garcia on bench

ARLINGTON, Texas — Slumping Rangers slugger Adolis García was held out of Texas’ lineup for the third consecutive day Sunday, with president of baseball operations Chris Young saying the club wants the 2023 ALCS MVP to make some mechanical changes.

“We need him to kind of commit to some of these changes that we think will get him back to the ’23 version of himself and help him be the player that we know he can be,” Young said before Texas’ series finale against St. Louis.

García is hitting .155 in the past 20 games with 25 strikeouts. He is hitting .208 overall, with seven homers and a team-high 27 RBIs for a Rangers club that has struggled offensively. He ranked 14th in the majors with 122 home runs over the past four seasons.

García, who has started 55 of Texas’ 60 games in right field this season, missed only one other game before this weekend, with manager Bruce Bochy saying Friday that García was being given a mental break.

“It’s about the mental reset and coming back with more energy,” García told reporters Saturday. “I’m working on some stuff without the pressure of having to do something up there.”

García, 32, is in the final season of a two-year contract.

The anticipated return of Evan Carter to the active roster Tuesday, joining Wyatt Langford, Alejandro Osuna and Sam Haggerty, further crowds the Rangers outfield as García tries to return to the lineup.

“It’s going to be performance-driven at this point,” Young said.

Texas also made three roster moves before Sunday’s game. Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (triceps fatigue) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Thursday, catcher Tucker Barnhart was designated for assignment, and right-hander Codi Heuer was selected from Triple-A Round Rock.

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Phils moving Walker to relief in bullpen shakeup

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Phils moving Walker to relief in bullpen shakeup

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies made moves to restructure their bullpen Sunday, removing Taijuan Walker from the rotation and recalling right-handed reliever Seth Johnson before their series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Mick Abel will take Walker’s place in the starting rotation Thursday in Toronto. Reliever Jose Ruiz was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for Johnson.

“I think Tai’s got a chance to make us a lot better coming out of the ‘pen,” manager Rob Thomson said.

Walker has made 10 appearances, including eight starts and two long relief appearances, with a 2-4 record and 3.53 ERA in 43⅓ innings. Thomson will use Walker in one-inning roles.

The 32-year-old Walker has been primarily a starter throughout his 13-year career. He is in the third year of a $72 million, four-year contract.

Abel made his major league debut on May 18, throwing six scoreless innings. The 23-year-old was the No. 15 pick in the 2020 amateur draft.

Johnson, 26, is 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 33 innings with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, transitioning from the starting rotation to a relief role. He made one appearance for the Phillies last year, allowing nine earned runs in 2⅓ innings on Sept. 8 against Miami.

Johnson was acquired by the Phillies from Baltimore on July 30, 2024, in a trade for Gregory Soto.

Ruiz had an 8.16 ERA in 14⅓ innings this season, including allowing five runs in one inning of Saturday’s 17-7 loss to the Brewers. The 30-year-old right-hander had a 5-1 record and 3.71 ERA in 52 appearances in 2024.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jays’ Varsho lands on IL with hamstring injury

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Jays' Varsho lands on IL with hamstring injury

The Blue Jays placed outfielder Daulton Varsho on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a left hamstring injury.

Varsho sustained the injury while attempting to leg out a triple during Toronto’s victory against the Athletics on Saturday.

Myles Straw will get the start in center field and bat eighth in the lineup for Sunday’s series finale.

Varsho, 28, is batting .207 with a team co-leading eight homers to go along with 20 RBIs in 24 games this season.

In other moves, the Blue Jays recalled utilityman Davis Schneider from Triple-A Buffalo, activated relief pitcher Erik Swanson from the 60-day injured list and optioned left-hander Easton Lucas to the Triple-A club.

Swanson, 31, has been hampered by median nerve entrapment since spring training, He has a 10.13 ERA with a 0-1 record in 5 1/3 innings during seven relief appearances in the minors this spring.

Schneider, 26, has gone 1-for-15 with one RBI and eight strikeouts in 10 games this season with the Blue Jays.

Lucas, 28, who was called up from Buffalo on Saturday and earned the win for the Blue Jays after 4 2/3 scoreless innings, is 3-2 record with a 5.82 ERA this season.

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