Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story activated of 60-day injured list
Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story has been activated from the 60-day injured list, and Mickey Gasper has been optioned to make room on the expanded 28-man roster. To make room for Story on the roster, the Sox also placed right-handed pitcher Isaiah Campbell on the 60-day injured list, ending his season.
Story last appeared in a game on April 5th when he dislocated his left shoulder diving for a ball against the Angels.
The 31-year-old Story was expected to be lost for the entire season; a week later, after the injury, he had surgery. The Red Sox medical staff and Story intensified the rehab process, and he is now back. Boston could use a spark offensively, but even more so, they have missed the Gold Glove-caliber defender that Story can be.
“The team, they’ve pushed me, I think, more than I can push them. Obviously, it is a quick rehab, but it’s obviously a little expedited due to the situation of our team. I came to Boston to win and to play in the playoffs. I know I can contribute,” Story told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. “I feel healthy. I feel solid. So with all those things considered, it’s time to go.”
Defensively, the Red Sox have been an embarrassment. Overall, they lead the league with 101 errors and have been charged with an unfathomable 86 unearned runs. Errors that have prolonged innings lead to opponent rallies and racking up the pitch count for their pitchers. The majority of the errors have come from the left side of the infield. Shortstop specifically has 17 errors.
Ever since Story went down, who did have one error in eight starts, it has been a carousel of players to fill the position. Ceddane Rafaela has the most appearances (81 games, including 70 starts). David Hamilton also made 50 starts, while a combination of Romy Gonzalez, Nick Sogard, and Pablo Reyes started 13 total games.
Rafaela and Hamilton have made 16 errors (9 and 7 respectively). Rafaela has improved at the position as he has gotten more playing time there. He has only 2 errors at shortstop since the all-star break. Now with Story back in the fold, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Rafaela will move over to second base.
When Xander Bogaerts signed with the San Diego Padres in the 2022 offseason, the plan was for Story to be the shortstop that would attempt to fill such big shoes. Unfortunately, injuries have continued to get in his way. Before his shoulder injury, he had right elbow surgery during spring training in 2023 that kept him out until August. In 2022, before Bogaerts left, he also missed time with a hairline fracture near his wrist.
Story agreed to a 6-year, $140 million contract in the 2021 offseason. There is a $25 million player opt-out at the end of next season, but given the injury history, that seems unlikely to be exercised.
The two-time all-star will look to finish this season strong and help his team make September interesting. Boston sits five games back of a playoff spot, as they have nearly faded out of contention.
