Trevor Story has gone from an afterthought to one of the biggest reasons the Red Sox suddenly look dangerous heading into the playoffs.
That was hard to imagine not long ago. Story came back on Aug. 30 after missing more than three months following sports hernia surgery, and the return barely made a ripple.
He had been clearly bothered by the injury to open the 2026 season, and the offensive struggles that followed only fueled the noise around him. Boston fans let him hear it.
Since then, though, he has looked nothing like that version of himself.
In 19 games since being activated off the Injured List, Story has been one of the most productive players in the Red Sox lineup. He’s hit .338/.355/.514 with an .869 OPS, along with two home runs, 10 RBIs, one stolen base, seven doubles and eight runs scored.
The numbers say he’s back. The eye test says the same.
And it hasn’t just been the bat. Story has also handled himself well defensively, with only one error since returning.
That kind of turnaround changes the shape of Boston’s lineup. For much of the year, the Red Sox were searching for offense, and Story’s absence made the group even more left-handed and easier to game plan against in a playoff series. Now, with him producing again, the lineup looks much harder to navigate.
The balance could get even better once Ceddanne Rafaela returns from the Injured List. At that point, Boston could have what looks like one of the most complete lineups in the American League playoffs, especially with the New York Yankees missing Aaron Judge. On the day Story and Roman Anthony returned, Boston ran out a lineup that has since taken on different forms, but the point remains the same: this is a deep group.
Story’s role has only made that depth more dangerous. He’s moved around the order over the last few weeks, even batting fourth on Sunday, and the Red Sox have been able to use him wherever they need him. That was not the expectation when he first came back, especially after a rehab assignment that didn’t produce much, which made the decision to bat him eighth in his return easy to understand.
But the version of Story Boston has now is a different story entirely. If the Red Sox use a playoff lineup like this one, or even go with Mickey Gasper at DH and move Anthony to left field, they can put pressure on opponents from top to bottom.
With Story hitting near the bottom, there’s no easy place to breathe. Jarren Duran has struggled getting on base this season, but he has still supplied power and RBIs, and a deeper lineup would give Boston plenty of chances to cover for him.
The bottom line is simple: Story has made the Red Sox better since coming back. Boston can slide him around the order and still keep the lineup intact. A healthy Story gives the team balance, and if he keeps playing like this, the Red Sox are going to be a tough out.
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Red Sox Face Immediate Outfield Decisions As Key Bat Nears Return
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His return also puts the Red Sox right back into the kind of day-to-day outfield juggling that tends to matter most this time of year. With the postseason approaching, Boston has to sort out how Rafaela fits into the lineup and the defensive alignment, and his activation should make the roster look deeper even as it forces some immediate decisions about who moves where. [Read more 🡒]