Trevor Story knows he didn't make a stellar first impression with the Red Sox.
High expectations for Story were ignited a year ago when Boston signed the two-time All-Star to a six-year contract worth a reported $140 million. Story ended up having an underwhelming Year 1 with the Red Sox, as injuries limited him to 94 games and he wasn't overly productive when he was available.
Xander Bogaerts' offseason departure only heightened Boston's need for Story to perform at a high level. But after undergoing elbow surgery in early January, it remains to be seen when the 30-year-old will be back in the Red Sox lineup. As his Boston teammates gear up for the 2023 Major League Baseball season, Story remains in the process of getting himself back to 100%.
Christian Arroyo recently caught up with Story amid his injury rehab. As they looked back on the 2022 season, Story held himself accountable for not playing to the standards of himself or the club.
"I was just talking to him yesterday," Arroyo told The Boston Globe's Tara Sullivan. "We were talking about hitting and I was asking him what he was doing before he got the surgery, what he was focusing on, and I just said it to him: 'You had a weird year.'I said, 'How would you evaluate your year?' And he said, 'You know, I know I'm way better than what I played.'"
Despite the injury setback, it sounds like Story will have an opportunity to bounce back in 2023. The eighth-year pro is confident the "best-case scenario" of playing in the second half of the season will come to fruition.
