Major National League Slugger Undergoes Surgery After Season-Ending Injury

Rafael Devers second season with the San Francisco Giants went from bad to worse.

Despite a solid statistical season from a personal standpoint, his Giants team was abysmal. San Francisco finished the 2026 campaign as one of the worst teams in all of baseball and had the second-fewest wins (65) in the National League.

The Giants finished the season winning just two of their last 10 games and missing the playoffs. Devers, 29, was shut down with 13 games remaining in the Giants’ season in order to undergo surgery on a core muscle in his left side that had nagged him for most of the year.

Giants manager Tony Vitello couldn’t pinpoint the exact nature of the injury, saying: “I think it’s something that’s bothered him for a few years now and kind of something that was a mystery to him. … pretty significant relief and a little bit of joy out of him to just have an answer to what it was that was popping up. I can’t even directly say medically what it was, but kind of a core injury.”

Devers’ surgery took place in the middle of September, and he’s expected to be fully recovered in about three months. The Giants’ infielder officially ended his season on the 60-day injured list prior to undergoing surgery.

He finished his season hitting the most home runs by a Giant (37) since Barry Bonds’ 45 in 2004. Devers added 98 RBI and compiled a .258 average with an .865 OPS. Devers hit 12 homers over his last 21 games played.

With Devers and San Francisco an afterthought, MLB’s attention now turns to who will capture this month’s World Series. Per Polymarket bettors, it seems to be a two-team race. The Los Angeles Dodgers are occupying 36% of wagers to win the Fall Classic, while another National League team, the Milwaukee Brewers, is receiving the second-most wagers (23%).

Considering he’s under contract with the Giants through 2033, Devers could help point next year’s odds more toward San Francisco if he starts 2027 swinging the way he did in ’26 prior to injury.

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