San Francisco Giants star Rafael Devers is scheduled to undergo surgery in Philadelphia on Tuesday to repair a left-side core muscle injury, according to reports from NBC Sports Bay Area & California. The procedure will be performed by Dr. William Meyers, officially concluding Devers’ first full season in San Francisco after he was placed on the 60-day injured list.
### Surgery Timeline and Recovery Expectations
Giants manager Tony Vitello told reporters on Sunday that Devers played through the core muscle issue for the majority of the year. Despite the discomfort, the team decided the conclusion of the regular season was the appropriate window for the procedure to ensure a full recovery ahead of next year.
According to Vitello, Devers is expected to be ready to participate in spring training for the following season. The timing of the surgery also gives the Giants an extended window to monitor his rehabilitation progress ahead of a potential Major League Baseball lockout, which is expected if the collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1. During a lockout, teams are barred from communicating with players on the 40-man roster.
### Historic Production Despite Injury
Devers delivered one of the best seasons by a Giant in Oracle Park history while managing the injury. Over 148 games, he posted a .258/.340/.525 batting line, slugging 37 home runs and driving in 98 runs.
His 36 doubles lead the majors. With those numbers, Devers became the first Giant to record at least 35 homers and 35 doubles in the same season since Jeff Kent achieved the feat in 2002.
The production stands out further considering Devers carried a .537 OPS at the conclusion of April. Had he not been sidelined by the impending surgery, he would’ve become the first Giant with at least 100 RBIs in a single season since Buster Posey in 2012—and chase the elite franchise territory occupied by 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.”
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