Star Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers became the first victim of MLB’s new shot clock rules after being called for strikes despite the third never crossing the plate.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Devers fouled Baltimore Orioles reliever Cionel Pérez and walked out of the batter’s box to recover before the next pitch.
However, MLB’s new shot clock rule states that a batter must be «pitcher watch» when eight seconds remain on the clock. The clock was reset once Devers’s foul officially became a dead ball.
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Rafael Devers #11 of the Boston Red Sox hits a bat during the first inning of the 2023 Opening Day game against the Baltimore Orioles on March 30, 2023 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
So when he backed into the box and kicked his bat, the umpire waited until there were six seconds left on the clock to call Devers on a 1-2 count on him.
Devers couldn’t believe the call at first, but like every MLB player, he eventually understood why the umpire had to make the call.
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With MLB implementing these new rules this season, which includes banning defensive changes, players have made it known that they are not fans of the «alert pitcher» part of the rule.
Rafael Devers #11 or the Boston Red Sox play defense during the first inning of the 2023 Opening Day game against the Baltimore Orioles on March 30, 2023 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
However, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said no rule changes would come after seeing how things played out in spring training.
That about Devers turned out to be important, as the Red Sox lost, 10-9, to the Orioles after scoring three runs in the eighth inning, followed by two in the ninth. Devers would also strike out swinging in the ninth inning, but maybe get a hit in the previous at-bat that adds a run.
Rafael Devers #11 of the Boston Red Sox reacts before a Spring Training Grapefruit League game against the Tampa Bay Rays on February 26, 2023 at jetBlue Park on Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida. (Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
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Hindsight is 20/20 though and the rules are the rules in this case. And this certainly won’t be the last time we see a batter thrown out due to the new offense.