San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers has been dealing with a hamstring injury since late February in spring training. After stepping in as the designated hitter in the season-opener, it sounds like manager Tony Vitello has an update about Devers' situation.
Vitello claims that the 29-year-old infielder could step in and play first base right now if he needed to, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. Since it's early in the 2026 campaign, it appears Devers will remain at DH for now until his hamstring fully recovers.
“Vitello said Devers is still feeling the hamstring ‘a little bit,'” reported Pavlovic. “[Devers] could play first base if needed, but there's no reason to push it right now. They expect [Luis] Arraez to see time there at some point, but it's [Casey] Schmitt for now (with [Jerar] Encarnacion an option as well).”
Rafael Devers' injury update appears to be a positive one, as it sounds like he can still help the offense with his bat. Schmitt stepped in at first base on Wednesday in the 7-0 loss to the New York Yankees. Devers recorded just one hit in four at-bats as the designated hitter.
The Giants acquired the 10-year veteran in 2025 via trade with the Boston Red Sox. Devers played 90 games for San Francisco last season, finishing with a .236 batting average and .347 OBP while recording 79 hits, 20 home runs, and 51 RBIs. He is expected to bounce back and be one of the main contributors for the Giants in 2026.
We'll see how long Tony Vitello plans to play Rafael Devers at first base once he's healthy. San Francisco has an incredibly talented first base prospect in the farm system in Bryce Eldridge. The Giants may be forced to promote Eldridge to the majors depending on how he plays at Triple-A Sacramento to begin the season.
