BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox placed third baseman Rafael Devers on the 10-day injured list Saturday because of left shoulder inflammation and recalled catcher/infielder Mickey Gasper from Triple-A Worcester.

Devers underwent an MRI on both shoulders Friday.

The third baseman has dealt with a sore right shoulder dating back to the end of spring training. He then banged up the other shoulder diving for a ball in Colorado right after the All-Star break.

He batted .272 with a .354 on-base percentage, .516 slugging percentage, .871 OPS, 28 homers, 34 doubles, five triples, 83 RBI, 87 runs, 67 walks and 147 strikeouts in 138 games (601 plate appearances).

But he posted a .205/.295/.329/.624 line in his final 42 games dating back to the beginning of August.

“I think overall, injuries aside, he was one of the best hitters, if not the best hitter in the big leagues for two and a half months, and it was fun to see,” Red Sox Manager Alex Cora said Saturday. “I know the numbers are the numbers defensively. But he made some improvements in certain areas.

“Disappointed because he’s basically our offense,” Cora added. “He is the guy. The last month, it’s been hard to watch.”

Devers’ bat speed decreased as he slumped during the last month and a half. He had just three extra-base hits in 28 games dating back to Aug. 18.

“He worked on a few things in the offseason and one of those was to catch up with the fastball,” Cora said. “And then it got to the point that he didn’t. The teams, they noticed it and they attacked him. I mean, it was relentless. And that started probably a month and a half ago.”

Also Saturday, the Red Sox reinstated right-handed reliever Luis García from the 15-day injured list and optioned righty Cooper Criswell to Triple-A Worcester.

Criswell took the loss Friday, allowing three runs in the 12th inning to the Twins. Boston lost, 4-2.

Garcia, who Boston acquired from the Angels at the trade deadline, missed 23 games because of right elbow inflammation.

He gave up 14 runs (13 earned), 21 hits (four homers) and one walk while striking out 11 in 11 outings (11 1/3 innings) with Boston before landing on the IL.

Boston sent four prospects – outfielder Matthew Lugo, reliever Ryan Zeferjahn, first baseman Niko Kavadas and pitcher Yeferson Vargas – to Los Angeles.

Zeferjahn has allowed just two runs in 13 2/3 innings (1.35 ERA) for the Angels.

NOTHING ABOUT THE 2024 season has gone as planned for Vaughn Grissom.

Acquired from the Atlanta Braves last winter in exchange for Chris Sale, Grissom was projected to be Boston’s starting second baseman.

But groin and hamstring injuries wiped out his spring training and he didn’t make his debut until the first week of May.

When he was finally cleared to play, he underperformed, slashing .148/.207/.160 in 23 games, after which he suffered yet another groin strain.

When he recovered from that, instead of being added to the active roster, he was optioned to Triple-A Worcester. Essentially, the Red Sox wanted him to start from scratch.

At Worcester, in time, Grissom showed progress. Over his last 15 games in September in the minors, Grissom hit .340 while knocking in 12 runs and scoring 14. That, and an injury to Rob Refsnyder, led to him being recalled Friday.

Now, the plan is for him to get some playing time in the final week.

“We’re going to get Vaughn as many games as possible this week,” said Cora. “It will be good. Even yesterday, (as a late-inning replacement), he was moving well to first base. That’s the fastest that I’ve seen him run. He looks stronger. He’s in a good place. I talked to him after the game. I don’t want him to come here to think that he has to show us who he is.

“(We told him) ‘Just keep doing the things that you were doing in Triple-A with the structure of your work – pregame meetings, postgame meetings, defensive work…everything you were doing there with Chad (Tracy, WooSox manager) and the group, we’re going to do it here and we’re going to help you out.’ “