Red Sox: Rafael Devers injury clearly impacting him in Rays’ series

Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers didn’t look the same in the ALDS. It turns out he’s dealing with an injury, which he suffered in the Wild Card game.

Devers is dealing with some forearm discomfort based on an injury suffered in the Wild Card game. The slugger didn’t look comfortable at the plate whatsoever, often wincing while he swung the bat.

After the game, Alex Cora admitted that the Sox are dealing with injury issues at this point in the season. He didn’t necessarily confirm Devers’ forearm injury, perhaps taking some notes from the NHL’s Boston Bruins in the process. Let’s call it an upper body issue.

Red Sox: Alex Cora comments on Rafael Devers

“Three days ago, everyone was saying he was setting up the pitcher the way he drops the bat,” Cora said. “Today because he didn’t get a hit — it’s a grind of 162 right? There’s things that happen, and you get treatment and you grind. Not everybody is 100 percent right now. He is posting. Like I said, a few days ago, he was dropping the bat the same way. Actually, I heard he was setting up pitches with that, so.”

What does that mean?

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Twitter that Devers was struggling, which is perhaps the most information we’re going to get on his status. Such is postseason injury updates.

“It was going to be difficult for the Red Sox to beat the Rays in this series to begin with. Doing so with Rafael Devers clearly compromised — he is an absolute gamer and is trying to play through an arm injury suffered in the wild card game — is going to be that much harder,” Passan reported.

The Red Sox lost to the Rays, 5-0, in Game 1 at Tropicana Field on Thursday. Devers went 1-for-4.