Two days after a dramatic incident in which San Francisco’s Rafael Devers tried to refuse to exit a game for a pinch runner, the Giants first baseman said he apologized to manager Tony Vitello.
Devers spoke publicly about the situation for the first time on Tuesday.
“Two days before that, I had told (Vitello) that I had a hamstring issue,” Devers said on Tuesday ahead of the Giants’ home game against the Athletics. “I thought that was why he was taking me out of the game. That’s why I was trying to signal to him that I was fine. I think it was a misunderstanding.
“I apologized, which was the right thing for me to do.”
The host Miami Marlins led the Giants 2-1 in the ninth inning on Sunday when Devers drew a leadoff walk. After Devers tried to stop teammate Jonah Cox from entering as a pinch runner, the umpire crew eventually put Cox on base, and Devers exited angrily.
Cox, 24, is a speedy rookie, while Devers, 29, is ranked as one of the majors’ slowest players.
Cox didn’t attempt to steal a base, and the game ended with a flyout and then a ground-ball double play.
Vitello termed the incident a “non-issue.”
“He came to me,” Vitello said. “We sat next to each other on the plane (from Miami to San Francisco), had a good conversation. … It was a good chat we had. I went through all the stuff postgame, the baserunning stuff, the hamstring, how well he’s done for us.
“As a player or the type of teammate he is and the type of competitor, how bad he wants to win, I’m good to go into battle with him anytime.”
