Trevor Story closer to possible late-season return, but will it matter for Red Sox? (2024)

BOSTON — Four hours before first pitch, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora slipped a detail into his daily roundup of injury updates that came as a surprise: Shortstop Trevor Story is scheduled to take batting practice on the field Monday.

While Story has been progressing in recent weeks in his rehab from a broken left shoulder, it marked a significant step forward and one Story and Cora were not anticipating.

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“It’s a huge step,” Cora said. “Where we are at right now, I’m truly believing that he’s gonna be part of this.”

Among the many questions, however, is whether Story’s return will matter as the Red Sox fight for their playoff lives over the next 48 games.

Friday, a 3-1 lead turned into a rough 8-4 loss to the Houston Astros on a night when the Red Sox got a strong start from Tanner Houck only to watch the bullpen let it bleed away. The Red Sox sit 1 1/2 games back of Kansas City for the third wild-card spot in the American League.

In three starts since the break, Houck had surrendered four, three and six earned runs, respectively. Friday, he held Houston to one run on four hits and three walks, striking out one, while inducing 12 ground-ball outs with his signature sinker. In an inning that might have unraveled in previous outings, Houck escaped the fifth inning, leaving the bases loaded after inducing a groundout to short.

“I think I made really good in-game adjustments,” Houck said. “Early on struggled with the command a little bit but ultimately bounced back to make the pitches when I needed to. All in all, a great game to look back and learn from and continue to grow.”

But after a laborious 82 pitches on a damp night, Cora turned to newcomer Lucas Sims, who let the lead slip away. Sims had pitched three scoreless appearances for the Red Sox since joining the team at the trade deadline last week, but Friday was different and carried a bad omen from the get-go with a leadoff triple to Jake Meyers. Two batters later, Jose Altuve blasted a two-run homer to tie the score.

ALTUVE TIES IT UP!!#RELENTLESS pic.twitter.com/2iW8g0v4dz

— Houston Astros (@astros) August 10, 2024

Cora turned to Zack Kelly, but the Astros added two more runs to take the lead before adding another three in the ninth.

“We’ve been talking about this since the trade deadline, right?” Cora said. “We’re getting healthy and we’ve got arms. It didn’t happen today. I’ve always said that’s a fast-break offense (for Houston). When they get going, they get going.”

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The Red Sox rallied in the seventh as Cora sent three pinch hitters to the plate in the span of four batters. A missed call by home plate umpire Mark Carlson led to a Rob Refsnyder strikeout, thwarting one chance. Enmanuel Valdez walked to load the bases for Rafael Devers, but Devers struck out to end the inning.

The Red Sox have shown fight all season and remain within reach of a wild-card spot, but the next 2 1/2 weeks will be crucial to their playoff hopes. Beginning Friday, the Red Sox had 13 of their next 16 games against teams currently in possession of a postseason spot. The three games next week against the Texas Rangers (winners of last year’s World Series) are the exception.

Against that backdrop, Story is in a race against time. When the 31-year-old fractured his non-throwing shoulder in the eighth game of the season in early April, the expectation, given the severity of his surgery, was for a 2025 return.

But Story spent the next three months rehabbing in Southern California at Elite OrthoSport where his surgery was performed and emerged in better shape than expected, joining the team just after the All-Star break for its trip to Los Angeles and then Colorado. He’s been with the club ever since.

Trevor Story closer to possible late-season return, but will it matter for Red Sox? (1)

Trevor Story interacts with Colorado Rockies fans in late July at Coors Field. (Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today)

“I didn’t expect it to be going this well, to be honest,” Story said Friday. “Just because I know how bad it was early on in the rehab process. But I really think my body turned the corner, and mentally, too. I think it’s my mind trusting my body now more than ever.”

Story said he took swings for the first time in Colorado and realized he felt better than expected, raising the possibility of a late-season return.

“I’ve always hoped for it to be more than a ‘maybe,'” Story said. “I think that it’s kind of a reality now. Over the last two weeks, the swings have been really good. Really no hesitation or hold back in the swing. And I think that’s why we’re feeling optimistic about it.”

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Cora didn’t want to put a timeline on how many BP sessions Story would take or when he might begin a rehab assignment, but he did note that, defensively, Story is ready to go. The buildup is more about his swing with the surgically repaired shoulder.

“I don’t want to put pressure on him, but he’s putting pressure on us, which is the great thing about this,” Cora said.

“We’ve been kind of just working behind the scenes and keeping the expectations low,” Story said. “I think it’s helped us out to where the body has been able to recover and bounce back from the swings in the cage. Like I said all along, if there’s a chance to play, I’m going for it.”

While the news on Story was promising, the Red Sox still have plenty of hurdles to overcome. Triston Casas continues to rehab in Triple-A Worcester, and while he’s hit well over the past week, Cora said the decision is in Casas’ hands on how soon he feels ready to return. Meanwhile, the Red Sox announced Friday that Cooper Criswell, who had been slated to start Saturday in place of Nick Pivetta, was placed on the COVID-IL. Josh Winckowski is now scheduled to make the spot start Saturday.

The team also announced Brayan Bello will be away for a few days for the birth of his child but is expected to be back for his start Monday. To fill the spots of Criswell and Bello, the Red Sox recalled Cam Booser and Brad Keller from Triple-A Worcester.

Trevor Story closer to possible late-season return, but will it matter for Red Sox? (2)

Cam Booser gave up a Yordan Alvarez double that scored Alex Bregman. (Michael Dwyer / Associated Press)

The moving parts are aplenty as the Red Sox try to make headway in the standings during a tough stretch in the schedule. If they can, Story might offer a late-season boost for meaningful games down the stretch.

(Top photo of Lucas Sims reacting after giving up a two-run home run to Jose Altuve, right: Michael Dwyer / Associated Press)

Trevor Story closer to possible late-season return, but will it matter for Red Sox? (3)Trevor Story closer to possible late-season return, but will it matter for Red Sox? (4)

Jen McCaffrey is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Boston Red Sox. Prior to joining The Athletic, the Syracuse graduate spent four years as a Red Sox reporter for MassLive.com and three years as a sports reporter for the Cape Cod Times. Follow Jen on Twitter @jcmccaffrey

Trevor Story closer to possible late-season return, but will it matter for Red Sox? (2024)

FAQs

How long is Trevor story out for the Red Sox? ›

The projected recovery time for the injury is six months. "It's a huge step, huge," Cora said.

What happened to Trevor's story? ›

Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story is plugging along in his recovery from shoulder surgery. Story back in April underwent an arthroscopic repair of the posterior labrum, with an open reduction and internal fixation of the fracture of the glenoid rim. He's expected to miss the remainder of the 2024 season.

Is Trevor Story playing? ›

Impact The 31-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a dislocated left shoulder and is without an official timetable for his return, but it appears he could be out for most or all of the season.

Does Story still play for the Rockies? ›

Trevor Story is still waiting to show the Red Sox who he really is. The former Rockies All-Star and Silver Slugger made his first trip back to Coors Field on Monday since he signed a six-year, $140 million contract with Boston ahead of the 2022 season.

How long is Red Sox curse? ›

On Wednesday, October 27, 2004, the Boston Red Sox achieved the just-about impossible, coming back from an 0-3 deficit and eventually breaking the 86-year long curse with a World Series Championship.

How many hits does Trevor Story have? ›

Stats
GPABH
9435785
4315832
8317
8903368892
7 more rows

What illness does Trevor Story have? ›

Story is set to undergo surgery to repair a fractured glenoid in his shoulder, an injury he suffered on Friday night while diving for a ground ball in Anaheim. The Red Sox estimate the recovery time to be about six months, thus costing Story the rest of the 2024 season after he had played in just eight games.

What happens to Trevor's cut if he dies? ›

Michael still considers Franklin as a close friend of his, but Trevor's death has affected him deeply and says he needs time from Franklin. After the credits, the player can only choose to play as Michael and Franklin, and Trevor's cut from the Union Depository bank job is split between them.

What happened to Red Sox shortstop? ›

The shortstop's 2024 season came to a grinding halt on April 5 against the Los Angeles Angels when he suffered a shoulder injury after diving to his left to stop a ground ball. Story was looking forward to playing a full season again as he missed the majority of 2023 recovering from a torn right UCL.

Who played for both Red Sox and Rockies? ›

Trevor John Story (born November 15, 1992) is an American professional baseball shortstop and second baseman for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Colorado Rockies.

How many no hitters are in Red Sox history? ›

Pitchers for the Red Sox have thrown 18 no-hitters in franchise history.

Is Trevor Story married? ›

Full name is Trevor John Story... He and his wife, Mallie, had their first child, Stetson, in March 2022 (see box on next page)... The couple had their second child, Nolan, in June 2023... Graduated from Irving (TX) High School...

Is Trevor Story on the injured list? ›

The Red Sox placed Story on the injured list late last week after he dislocated his left shoulder while making a diving stop on a hit by the Angels' Mike Trout on Friday night.

What happened to Trevor Story? ›

Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story will not play again this season after suffering a fractured glenoid in his shoulder, general manager Craig Breslow told reporters on Tuesday. He had surgery Friday and is expected to need at least six months to recover, giving him no chance at returning this year.

Have the Rockies ever made it to the World Series? ›

In 2007, the Rockies advanced to the World Series, only to be swept by the Boston Red Sox. The team's stretch run was among the greatest ever for a Major League Baseball team. Having a record of 76-72 at the start of play on September 16, the Rockies proceeded to win 14 of their final 15 regular season games.

How long has Trevor Bauer been out of baseball? ›

On April 29, 2022, the league announced that Bauer would be suspended for 324 games as a result of their investigation, which was later reduced to 194 on appeal. The Dodgers released him on January 12, 2023, rather than restoring him to the active roster.

How long will the Red Sox wear yellow? ›

What is this? Seeing the Red Sox donning these yellow and blue uniforms on a regular basis in 2024 gives even more reason to believe they will not be shelved. As previously mentioned, this year is the first time the uniforms have been made a part of the rotation since their inception in 2021.

How long does the average Red Sox game last? ›

In 2022, the average Red Sox game took 3 hours, 11 minutes to complete. This year, their games have taken an average of 2:48 — a striking difference of 23 minutes, and a 37-minute drop since they averaged a franchise-long 3:25 in 2019. Red Sox games haven't averaged less than three hours since 2004 (2:59).

How long does a Sox game last? ›

The length of a baseball game depends on various factors, including the level of play, number of innings, and pace of the game. While MLB games typically last around 3 hours, college and youth games are generally shorter.

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