Alex Cora Sends Message To Red Sox Infielders With Trevor Story Out

The Red Sox on Tuesday basically made it official: Boston will play the remainder of the 2024 season without Trevor Story.

Story is set to have surgery on his left shoulder after damaging it last Friday in Anaheim. The timeline for recovery is six months, which means Story is bound for a second straight lost season with the Red Sox.

Boston, at least for now, will use a platoon system in the middle infield with Story on the shelf. Speaking with the media after Tuesday’s loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park, manager Alex Cora offered advice to the players who will be a part of that plan.

“We got to move on,” Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “I know it sounds hard, but this is the major league game. We’re going to miss him, yeah, as a leader, as a player, as a baserunner, defender, hitter. But we have to move on. Whoever is going to play short that day, just play up to who you are. Don’t try to be Trevor Story. There’s only one of those, you know, and he’s probably not going to play this year. So, just be you. Hammy (David Hamilton) or Pablo (Reyes) or Romy (González), just make the routine plays and put up good at-bats. They’re good athletes and they’re going to put pressure on the opposition.”

Red Sox shortstops have struggled a bit since Story went down, combining to go 2-for-10 at the plate while playing so-so defense. The aforementioned players likely feel a great deal of pressure to perform well in place of Story, but they would be wise to heed Cora’s advice and try to keep the game simple as best they can.