David Ortiz - Leave Red Sox DH Rafael Devers alone about 1B - ESPN

NEWTON, Mass. — The Boston Red Sox should just leave designated hitter Rafael Devers alone and let him decide if he wants to start playing first base, Hall of Famer David Ortiz told The Associated Press on Monday.

The Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to a $120 million, three-year contract in spring training and told Devers, 28, he was going to be the full-time DH.

That was, until first baseman Triston Casas was lost for the season after rupturing a tendon in his left knee and undergoing surgery in early May.

Speaking at his charity golf tournament — the David Ortiz Soiree of Hearts — the former Red Sox slugger said any move should be up to Devers.

«He's doing great as the DH. They asked for it, and he's doing great as the DH,» Ortiz said. «Once [the] Casas situation goes down… In people's minds, it was: 'Devers goes to first and [Masataka] Yoshida goes to DH and we are a better team'. Yeah, that's what you put in your mind. But guess what? The kid was asked in a spring training to just hit and now all of a sudden you want to switch him over. It takes time.»

Ortiz, 49, who made his way to the Hall as mainly a DH, didn't say Devers shouldn't make the switch, but any choice should come after he learns the position.

«I will say this: At one point, if Devers would like to practice at first base, and would like to go back to playing the whole defense thing, that is all on him,» said Ortiz, sitting down with the AP while signing souvenirs for golfers.

«We asked him to be the DH. Fully asked him to be the DH,» Big Papi said. «I remember that conversation in spring training. It's a different situation and the guy's doing great at what you asked him for. He's giving you what you asked for, even if it wasn't what he was agreeing on.»

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