Trevor Story Return? Craig Breslow Reacts To Red Sox Star’s Comments

It was thought that Trevor Story's season was over just eight games into the campaign with a significant shoulder injury. But last week, the Boston Red Sox shortstop surprisingly kept the door open to a possible return this season.

And Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow certainly isn't going stand in Story's way of getting back onto the field.

"The fact he is verbalizing that he isn't closing the door is probably the best sign that we can have that he's feeling good, he's happy with the progress he's making," Breslow told reporters Friday, per the Boston Herald's Mac Cerullo. "We're a better team with him on it and active, so if he's not closing the door I'm certainly not going to. It would be a huge boost, don't want to put undue pressure on that but I know he's really excited about the progress he's made over the last month or so. It feels like he's really turned the corner and he's out doing baseball activities and fielding ground balls."

There's been no timeline established for Story's return, but it likely will hinge on whether the Red Sox are still in the middle of a playoff race or headed to the postseason. If Boston is out of contention, it could have Story shut things down and start looking ahead to next season.

Story was supposed to solidify the infield and the lineup this season along with being a strong veteran presence on a youthful team. The two-time All-Star, whose time with the Red Sox have been riddled by injuries, was pegged for a bounce-back season this year, too. He ended up batting .226 (7-for-31) with no home runs and four RBIs in eight games.

There's still time left for Story to make a difference, but the Red Sox will prioritize his health and won't push him back until he's ready.

"It would be a great outcome for us," Breslow said. "But if it doesn't work out just the fact that he's feeling so good about the progress when he's out here doing baseball activities is a great sign."