A stint on the disabled list appears likely for Rafael Devers, according to Red Sox manager Alex Cora, after the third baseman left Saturday night’s 10-4 win over the Twins with a left hamstring injury.
Devers felt discomfort in his hamstring after his bunt single in the first inning, then aggravated it in the eighth inning rounding second base on Eduardo Nunez’s RBI double.
Devers will be evaluated further on Sunday.
“We’ll know tomorrow morning,’’ Cora said. “He said he felt it on the bunt early. He felt tight, then it grabbed rounding second. So he’s down there in the trainer’s room. Obviously, we’ll see tomorrow morning when he comes in, but we’ll see.’’
Devers went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI in the win, extending his hitting streak to five games. Over that stretch, he’s hitting .368 with two doubles, a homer, and three RBIs.
In his first full season, the 21-year-old has played in all but 10 games for the Sox. He missed six games this month after going on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation.
Kelly progresses
The Red Sox bullpen’s hiccups since the All-Star break have amplified the chatter about adding another arm as the trading deadline approaches.
Sox relievers had given up 15 runs in 22⅓ innings since the break prior to Saturday.
Joe Kelly’s struggles have disrupted the order of the Red Sox bullpen. Manager Alex Cora said his antennae are up as the rumor mill churns, but is confident that the issues will sort themselves out.
“I’m in tune,’’ Cora said. “I know what’s going on. Like I said, there’s a few guys in that clubhouse that we need to get straight, get them back.
“It’s no secret that Joe is that guy. They’re working, mechanically. Now it’s a matter of how we do this when to get him in a game and see him making adjustments. But we believe in him. The stuff is there, he’s throwing 98-99 [miles per hour].’’
Over his past four appearances, Kelly had given up eight runs in 3⅓ innings with a blown save against the Blue Jays.
“You look around the league, there’s a lot of relievers struggling too. It’s just that it happens to be the last week of July and everybody gets excited and starts looking at the names around the league and all that. But I do feel that he’s a very important part of what we’re trying to accomplish. So we’ll get him straight. I know he’s going to be back and he’s going to contribute.’’
Before Saturday night’s appearance, Kelly hadn’t pitched since he gave up three runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning in a 7-6 loss to the Orioles on July 24.
In the meantime, he’s worked with pitching coach Dana LeVangie to find answers.
Cora said Kelly’s problems stem from an inability to get first-pitch strikes with his breaking ball. Kelly’s favors the curveball to start off at-bats, going to it 42 percent of the time, according to the Pitchf/x tool. But over his last four appearances, the strike rate with his curveball is down to 12.50 percent.
“That first-pitch breaking ball is very important,’’ Cora said. “He was doing it early in the season and he hasn’t been able to do it lately. Then all of a sudden it’s 1-0. He might throw another one, it’s 2-0 and everybody knows he’s throwing a fastball. He’s not getting swings and misses. I think step one is to get ahead of hitters — that’s the simple part.’’
Cora said he’s trying to find the best spot to get Kelly back on the mound.
“The game will let me know,’’ he said.
That time came in the ninth inning Saturday night with the Sox up, 10-4. Kelly struck out two and gave up one hit in a scoreless inning of work.
“That was good,’’ Cora said. “Not a stressful situation. Command was good. The stuff is there, so it’s just a matter of keep working, landing that breaking ball. So a step toward the right direction.’’
Short-range plan
Asked repeatedly about Drew Pomeranz’s security in the rotation since the lefthander gave up four runs in 4⅔ innings after returning from the disabled list July 24, Cora gave the same response: “Drew’s pitching Tuesday.’’
That plan didn’t change Saturday but Pomeranz was in the bullpen Saturday “in case of emergency,’’ Cora said.
Pomeranz was still slated to start Tuesday against the Phillies, but Cora had to use six different arms out of the bullpen over the first two games of the homestand.
“Where we’re at right now, I’m mean we’re great in the bullpen, but he’ll be out there,’’ Cora said.
Pomeranz spent more than a month on the disabled list with left biceps tendinitis. Prior to that, he spent the early stages of the season sorting through mechanical issues after going 1-3 with a 6.81 ERA in his first eight starts.
Eovaldi takes the hill
Nathan Eovaldi will make his Sox debut in Sunday’s series finale against the Twins.
He was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday against the Yankees after he was traded from Tampa Bay to Boston.
His last start was July 20 against the Marlins, when he went six innings and struck out eight while holding the Marlins to one run on one hit.
He’s only pitched on six-plus days of rest twice in his career, but Cora said he wasn’t worried.
“He’s a guy that can go six innings,’’ Cora said. “He’s a strong kid. I actually think the rest will benefit him.’’
Cloninger dies at 77
Longtime Red Sox player development consultant Tony Cloninger died July 24. He was 77.
Cloninger played 12 seasons in the majors and spent 16 years with the Sox organization from 2002-18.
He served as a pitching coach in 2002 but left in 2003 after taking medical leave to undergo treatment for bladder cancer.
He’s survived by four children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Moreland back
Mitch Moreland, who’s been resting a sore left knee, returned to the lineup and is expected to be in the lineup Sunday. From there, Cora said, they’ll regroup and come up with a course of action for the rest of the week . . . D’Angelo Ortiz, who turned 14 earlier this month, was at Fenway Park to film a “NESN Clubhouse’’ episode. David Ortiz’s son, who is now taller than several Sox players, starts high school in the fall . . . The Twins were without manager Paul Molitor, who took the trip to Cooperstown, N.Y., to attend the induction of former teammate Jack Morris. Molitor and Morris are both natives of St. Paul, Minn.. They won a World Series together with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993 . . . With Molitor out, bench coach Derek Shelton handled managerial duties for the Twins . . . The Red Sox Foundation held its ninth annual “Run To Home Base’’ Saturday, raising more than $2.5 million to fund research and care at Massachusetts General Hospital for veterans and families of veterans who suffer from traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. The run culminated with an on-field ceremony prior to Saturday night’s game, as 548 family members of veterans who lost their lives in service poured onto the field. General James C. McConville, vice chief of staff of the US Army, was honored, taking the field alongside mayor Marty Walsh, Red Sox chairman Tom Werner, and Mass General president Dr. Peter Slavin.
Julian Benbow can be reached at jbenbow@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @julianbenbow