The Boston Red Sox are fighting to stay in the hunt for an American League wild card spot, and while they are sitting 3.5 games behind the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins, who both have records of 71-56 heading into play on Thursday, they still have a shot to make a run over the final month of the season to make the postseason. And if the latest injury update on Trevor Story is anything to go off of, the Sox could get a big boost for their lineup in the near future.
Story suffered a fractured glenoid in his shoulder all the way back in April, which was expected to end his season after just eight games. However, Story is ahead of schedule when it comes to his rehab work, and according to President of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow, it sounds like he has a real shot to suit up for Boston again this season.
“He continues to make a ton of progress and just being around him in the clubhouse, there’s a different attitude that he’s taking every day. He’s excited to go in and field. Liam (Hendriks) is on track to return sooner, but there’s a real strong chance that Trevor is putting on a Red Sox uniform and helping us at some point.” – Craig Breslow, The Greg Hill Show
Trevor Story could help Red Sox playoff push
Story has been a massive disappointment for the Red Sox over his first three seasons with them, but he could change the narrative surrounding his stint with the team by coming back in September and helping them find their way into the playoffs. While it would be great to get a full season of production from him, seeing him return this season would be a welcome sight.
Related NewsArticle continues below
Through just eight games, Story had gotten off to a bit of a slow start (.226 BA, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .617 OPS), but there was hope that he'd be able to put together his best season for the Sox. Instead, they've gotten some great production from guys like Ceddanne Rafaela (.264 BA, 13 HR, 61 RBI, 17 SB, .707 OPS), David Hamilton (.256 BA, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 32 SB, .723 OPS), and Romy Gonzalez (.256 BA, 4 HR, 22 RBI, .760 OPS) to help them get by without Story.
It's clear, though, that Story has the ability to be one of the most impactful hitters on this team, and adding a strong right-handed bat to their lineup is precisely what this team needs. Everyone will be keeping a close eye on his rehab work over the next few days, as his return could provide Boston with just the boost they need to make one final push for the postseason.
