SF Giants’ Devers set to undergo core muscle surgery

Rafael Devers, as expected, will undergo surgery on Tuesday with Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia to repair a left-side core muscle injury.

The Giants will provide a recovery timeline following the surgery.

Devers, who turns 30 next month, was placed on the 60-day injured list on Sunday afternoon, officially ending his first full season with San Francisco. The team revealed Devers played through a core muscle injury for most of the year, and manager Tony Vitello shared that Devers’ core has bothered him for “a few years now.”

While the season is already coming to a close, the team decided now was the time for Devers to undergo a procedure and begin rehab. Vitello said on Sunday that Devers is expected to be ready for spring training for next year.

“What led into the strategy of when and where and how was to make sure he gets everything he needs prior to next season,” Vitello said on Sunday. “As much as he was enjoying himself this year and obviously performing well, I think he’s pretty geeked up about next year and his confidence in next year’s success gives me confidence.”

The Giants’ decision to have Devers undergo surgery now gives them more time to monitor Devers’ rehab ahead of a looming labor battle. Major League Baseball is expected to institute a lockout when the collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, and teams cannot talk with players on the 40-man roster during that time.

Despite playing through pain, Devers enjoyed one of the best seasons by a Giant in Oracle Park history.

Over 148 games, Devers hit .258/.340/.525 with 37 home runs and 98 RBIs. His 36 doubles currently lead the majors, and he became the first Giant with at least 35 homers and 35 doubles in the same season since Jeff Kent in 2002. Those numbers are all the more impressive given Devers had a frigid .537 OPS at the end of April.

If Devers had continued playing, he would’ve surely become the first Giant with at least 100 RBIs in a single season since Buster Posey in 2012. Devers would’ve also had a shot at joining Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda and Kevin Mitchell as the only other Giants with a 40-homer, 100-RBI season since the team moved to San Francisco.

“I don’t think he looks at numbers the way that you would think he would, and I can’t get inside of his head, but I think he just likes to play,” Vitello said on Sunday. “So he wanted to play as long as he could. I think if he had his choice, he’d be in the lineup today.”