The Red Sox keep stacking wins, and the next boost could be coming from Trevor Story.
Boston finished off a four-game sweep of the Rays on Sunday with a 6-1 win, pushing the club to 50-48 and keeping it in the No. 3 American League Wild Card spot. The Red Sox are also just one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the No. 2 spot, and the way they’ve played lately has turned this into one of the hottest stretches in franchise history.
That’s what makes Story’s progress so important. The shortstop told Tim Healey of The Boston Globe that a minor league rehab assignment “feels close.”
"Trevor Story, nearly two months removed from sports hernia surgery, said a minor league rehab assignment 'feels close,' but he didn’t want to commit to a timeline," Healey wrote.
Story hasn’t appeared in a game since May 14, when he went on the Injured List after surgery to repair a sports hernia. The original expectation was that he’d miss eight to 12 weeks, and the calendar has now reached that range.
There had already been signs that he was moving well. Before the All-Star break, his rehab was described as progressing “more quickly than expected.” Then, near the end of June, Story told Rob Bradford of WEEI that he believed his return would land closer to eight weeks than 12.
Boston’s lineup has been rolling, but Story gives the roster something it still needs: right-handed power. He delivered that last season, when he hit 25 homers, drove in 96 runs and stole 31 bases in 157 games, good for a 4.1-WAR season. That said, there’s no promise the Red Sox will get that exact player back.
Before the surgery, Story hit .206/.244/.303 with three homers and 19 RBIs in 41 games. He was dealing with the injury for a while before finally going under the knife, which leaves some room for optimism that a healthier version could show up once he’s back on the field.
He isn’t there yet, but the finish line is getting closer. Once Story starts a minor league rehab assignment, the Red Sox will have 20 days before they need to activate him, though they wouldn’t have to use all of that time if he’s ready sooner.
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