‘Pigs squeal’: Rafael Devers may need to lose weight to break out of historic slump, says Jonathan Papelbon
Devers has struck out 12 times over his first four games. That's an MLB record.
Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers is hitless through four games. He has started the season off 0-for-16 at the plate. He’s the first player in MLB history to strike out 12 times in his first four games of the season.
He is clearly struggling, and there has been some speculation about why things have started off this poorly.
During NESN’s postgame coverage of Boston’s loss to the Texas Rangers on Sunday, former Red Sox pitcher Jonathan Papelbon said Devers’s struggles could have something to do with him being out of shape.
“He’s out of shape. Maybe he’s out of shape … Maybe we’ve got to trim a little bit of fat, Jim,” Papelbon said to fellow analyst and Hall-of-Famer Jim Rice.
Rice said the lack of production is a sign that Devers is not in hitting shape.
“You know what happens when you trim fat? Pigs squeal,” Papelbon said. “That’s what you’re looking for, your pigs to squeal and hit home runs.”
Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe noted that Devers is listed in the Red Sox media guide at 245 pounds, ten more pounds than he was listed at last year and the heaviest he has been during his career. He looks big, “almost Panda big,” Shaughnessy said, referencing former Sox infielder Pablo Sandoval.
Devers has said he feels comfortable at the plate despite the struggles. He didn’t get many reps during the spring, making just 15 plate appearances during five spring training games as he dealt with a nagging shoulder injury that ended his season last year.
Papelbon said the shoulder could be a factor in the struggles, but stuck by his observations that Devers is not getting his front foot down on time and appears to be late on fastballs.
“Is it the shoulder? Is he in shape?” Papelbon said. “We don’t know these things. But, to me, it looks like the swing is just a little bit behind.”
Manager Alex Cora also said he has noticed Devers having issues catching up to fastballs.
“That’s something that we have noticed,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Without going too deep into it, if you’re not grounded, you’re not going to be on time. Obviously we know Raffy needs to get on the fastball. How we’re going to get there is the question.”
Devers believes that the struggles will subside over time.
“I feel comfortable,” he said “It’s just a matter of time … I know I have’t been able to hit the ball in the zone quite yet, but that’s something that’s going to come.”
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