Could Trevor Story Return This Season? Red Sox Infielder Reveals Possibility
'We're having conversations about it now'
As the Boston Red Sox returned from the All-Star break to begin a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night, shortstop Trevor Story tagged along.
Story underwent season-ending left shoulder surgery back in April, leaving the 31-year-old sidelined after logging just 31 at-bats in 2024. The injury occurred on April 5 against the Angels when Story made a diving attempt at shortstop to corral a hard-hit ball off the bat of Mike Trout, prompting a fourth-inning exit.
The initial timetable suggested Story would need six months to recover, but the two-time All-Star isn’t fully convinced that it’ll take that much time to return and didn’t rule out coming back this season.
“We’re having conversations about it now,” Story told reporters at Dodger Stadium, per Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. “It’s too early to say if that’s gonna happen or not, but always in my mind, it’s something that obviously there’s a chance to play in the playoffs, this is why I came to Boston. So I think we’re being very diligent about the process, we’re being respectful, and we’re not doing anything like that my body’s not saying yes to. It’s too early to tell, but obviously, it would be amazing if I can.”
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Going down so soon was especially frustrating for Story considering the patience its required on his end since joining the Red Sox in 2022. Story signed a six-year, $140 million deal with Boston following the organization’s last postseason run, but has since battled an injury-filled stint with the Red Sox. In 2022, Story suffered a right hand contusion and a left heel contusion, limiting him to 94 games. And in 2023, Story made just 43 appearances after undergoing surgery on his right ulnar collateral ligament.
Story was the intended go-to shortstop entering 2024, but the latest injury hurdle left Boston skipper Alex Cora to get creative and utilize rookie Ceddanne Rafaela and David Hamilton in the middle infield. So far, leaning on the youngsters has helped fill Story’s void as Boston enters the second half of the campaign with a legitimate shot at contending for a postseason berth — which could extend the window of opportunity for Story to return.
Boston took the field in Los Angeles sitting third in the American League wild-card race, just 4 1/2 games behind the American League East-leading Baltimore Orioles. With the July 30 trade deadline just around the corner, the front office can still explore avenues to improve the team’s depth before the tail end of the regular season arrives.
If healthy by then, Story could make his Red Sox postseason debut, helping the team toss its back-to-back last-place finishes in the rearview mirror this October.
