The Boston Red Sox are still waiting on help up the middle, and the latest update on Trevor Story suggests that help may not be arriving as quickly as hoped.
Story is recovering from surgery to repair a sports hernia that was announced on May 22, and the original recovery window pointed to eight to 12 weeks. Last week, he said he was feeling better, has been hitting, and believed his comeback might land closer to the eight-week end of that range. Eight weeks from the surgery date would be July 17, the Red Sox’s first game after the All-Star break, a doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays.
But that timeline looks shaky now. On Sunday, interim manager Chad Tracy said it was “probably too optimistic” to expect Story to start a minor league rehab assignment before the break, according to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe.
"Trevor Story going on a rehab assignment before the All-Star break is 'probably too optimistic,' Chad Tracy said. So you can factor that into your expected timeline for Story," Healey wrote.
Boston plays its final game before the break on July 12, and once Story does begin a rehab assignment, the clock will be limited. He can spend no more than 20 days in the minors before that rehab window expires, though the Red Sox would not have to use all of it.
Story has not appeared in a game since May 14, so even though he’s been able to hit, he’ll still need game reps before facing big league pitching again. That matters even more given how he was performing before the injury. All of that points to at least a short stretch in the minors once the rehab assignment finally begins, which makes a return right at the eight-week mark look less likely.
There is still room for the situation to shift if Story continues to feel good and the team decides he’s ready sooner than expected. But Tracy’s comments made clear that Boston is not counting on that happening. For now, the middle infield remains unsettled, and a quick fix doesn’t appear to be coming.
Marcelo Mayer is also on the injured list, though no timetable has been set for him. He is dealing with a bone stress reaction in his left forearm.
Until then, the Red Sox figure to lean heavily on Anthony Seigler at second base, with a mix of Romy González, Tsung-Che Cheng, and Andruw Monasterio at shortstop.
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