How Alex Cora Plans To Shuffle Red Sox Lineup After Trevor Story’s Return

The Boston Red Sox started Trevor Story for the first time this season, moving around the lineup before Tuesday night’s game against the Kansas City Royals.

After missing out on the first 112 games, Story finally returned to make his 2023 debut, which poses a question for Boston moving forward: how will Red Sox manager Alex Cora rework the batting order to make room for Story? With 49 games left to play, Boston gains a stable right-handed bat in Story, who won’t be rushed into taking the field at shortstop on an everyday basis yet.

“Story, he’s gonna hit lower in the lineup,” Cora revealed Wednesday on WEEI’s “Gresh & Fauria” show. “The thing is we don’t have (Justin Turner) and we have to split up the lefties. And that’s something that, with all the good lefties that we have, you gotta find a way to think ahead of the sixth, the seventh, the eighth inning when they bring the lefties.”

On Tuesday, Cora inserted Story third in the lineup, hitting before and after left-handed hitters Jarren Duran, Masataka Yoshida, Devers and Casas. That provided the Red Sox with a balance of four righties to five lefties, which doesn’t hurt for a number of reasons.

The Royals signaled to two left-handed relievers — Angel Zerpa and Tucker Davidson — to keep the Red Sox at bay, which they did in holding Boston scoreless to the ninth inning. That ultimately put the nail in the coffin as the Red Sox recorded just one hit (and six total) after Kansas City’s bullpen took over the contest, putting Boston away with ease.

“It’s not only the first five innings,” Cora explained. “It’s 27 outs, it’s nine innings and you have to think a little bit with the other manager. These guys, they have three lefties in the bullpen. That’s the reason he hit third, because JT wasn’t there. But when JT’s playing, he’s probably gonna hit in the probably two-hole or the three-hole. Then (Adam) Duvall is gonna be hitting behind Raffy on (Devers) and Trevor is gonna hit behind (Triston) Casas.”