Rafael Devers' season is over and Giants star may have surgery for core muscle injury

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco's Rafael Devers' season is over and he may have surgery for a core muscle injury.

The Giants placed the first baseman/designated hitter and designated hitter on the 60-day injured list Sunday, ending his season.

Devers, who leads the team with 37 homers and 98 RBIs, is to meet Monday in Philadelphia with Dr. William Meyers. If a procedure is recommended, Devers would have the operation on Tuesday.

Devers had played in 309 consecutive games before sitting out the Giants’ 7-6 win over St. Louis on Wednesday.

“He battled with it the entire year,” Giants manager Tony Vitello said. "I think it’s something that has bothered him for a few years now.”

Devers homered in his last two games and had eight home runs with 20 RBIs in his final 11 games.

“I think he’s pretty geeked up about next year,” Vitello said. “His confidence in next year’s success gives me confidence.”

In the third season of a $313.5 million, 10-year contract, Devers was acquired from Boston in June 2025. He was batting .207 with two homers through April but has raised his average to .258.

Devers has a .274 average and 272 home runs in 10 major league seasons.

San Francisco selected the contract of outfielder Scott Bandura from Triple-A Sacramento.

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San Francisco Giants' Rafael Devers gestures after hitting a grand slam during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in San Francisco, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

San Francisco Giants' Rafael Devers (16), is congratulated by Bryce Eldridge, right, after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

San Francisco Giants' Rafael Devers (16) watches his two-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior has been banned for four league matches, including the “clasico” against Barcelona, after pulling the hair of an opponent in Saturday's 1-0 win over Villarreal.

Vinícius was shown a straight red card in the 73rd minute for having tugged hard on the hair of Villarreal’s Nathan Saliba when they were sprinting down the field, moments before the Madrid player scored a goal. The goal was also ruled out.

The Spanish soccer federation’s disciplinary committee announced the four-match suspension shortly before Madrid’s Champions League match at Roma on Wednesday.

Real Madrid was expected to appeal the suspension. Spanish media said an initial appeal had already been dismissed.

The committee said Vinícius was banned for two matches for the hair pulling and a further two matches for his subsequent aggressive protests to referee Isidro Díaz de Mera.

Vinícius screamed at Díaz de Mera while his teammates tried to calm him down as he left the field.

Díaz de Mera wrote in his match report that after being shown the red card Vinícius “protested my decision, raising his voice, toward where I was standing in an aggressive manner, and being held back by teammates.”

Vinícius will miss Sunday’s home match against Sevilla and the following week’s trip to Barcelona. He will also miss away matches at Racing Santander and Valencia.

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Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior leaves the pitch after being shown a red card during the La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Villarreal in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, right, leaves the pitch after being shown a red card during the La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Villarreal in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)