Trevor Story’s recovery is giving the Red Sox a little extra reason to believe the offense can still catch up.
Boston has enough pitching to hang with just about anybody, and the recent uptick has helped steady the season. But if the Red Sox are going to get back into the playoff mix and actually matter once they get there, the bats still need to do more. That’s where Story comes back into the picture.
The encouraging part is that his rehab appears to be moving faster than expected. The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey reported before the All-Star break that Story was recovering from sports hernia surgery “more quickly than expected.”
“Story had been progressing from sports hernia surgery more quickly than expected. Before the break, he’d begun throwing and light fielding drills,” McCaffrey wrote.
That was a better sign than the timeline had suggested earlier in the month. Near the end of June, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said it was “probably too optimistic” to think Story would even start a rehab assignment before the All-Star break. He didn’t, which lined up with that caution.
Story has not played since May 14, and when he had surgery, the expected recovery window was set at eight to 12 weeks. The eight-week point is here now, but he still hasn’t started a minor league rehab assignment. Once that begins, Boston should have a much clearer idea of when he can return.
For a player who was catching plenty of criticism early this season, the context matters. Story was hitting .206/.244/.303 with three homers and 19 RBIs in 41 games when he went down, and the injury clearly played a role in those struggles.
That’s why the possibility of a healthy return matters so much. Last season, Story was one of Boston’s steadiest offensive pieces, finishing with a .263/.308/.433 line, 25 homers, 96 RBIs and 31 stolen bases in 157 games. He was also one of the few reliable bats for the Red Sox during their push for a playoff spot.
Boston has looked better lately, but the lineup still needs another jolt. If Story comes back looking anything like he did a year ago, he could be exactly that.
In Other News...
Red Sox Suddenly Tied To A Blockbuster Rumor That Feels Off
A rumor with a massive footprint started making the rounds around the Red Sox when a Spanish-language pregame host posted that Boston had opened trade conversations for a young Nationals outfielder, with the expected asking price sounding steep from the start. It is the kind of idea that can set off instant speculation, but it also lands in a place where the fit is not especially clean, especially with Boston already carrying real outfield depth.
The bigger obstacle is on the Washington side, where there is little obvious reason to move a player the Nationals view as part of their future. Even if Boston were willing to put together a serious offer, the sort of package that would have to be considered would likely be painful enough to test how far the Red Sox would actually want to go, and there has been no official confirmation that talks have even begun. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Sale Opened Up About His Red Sox Exit And It Stings
Chris Sales reflections during the 2024 All-Star Game broadcast landed with the kind of weight that only comes from a player looking back on a complicated chapter. The 10-time All-Star spent seven seasons with the Red Sox, and even with the injuries that slowed the end of his run in Boston, he made clear how much that stretch still means to him. He also acknowledged the fans who stood by him through it all, even as his time with the club ended in a way that never quite matched the expectations that came with it.
Sale said he had committed to giving everything he had in what would have been his final season with Boston, a promise shaped by how much he felt he owed the organization after the injuries. He also admitted the frustration of not being healthy enough in those last years, which made the exit sting even more. Now with the Braves, Sales comments served as a reminder that for all the change, the bond between him and Red Sox Nation still carries plenty of unfinished emotion. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Have A Rotation Arm Drawing Trade Interest
The rotation picture in Boston has shifted enough that clubs around the league are watching closely, and the Red Sox could find themselves with a movable arm if the right offer comes along. Patrick Sandoval has re-entered the mix after a long injury absence, and his return gives Boston another healthy starter in a group that has been thinned and then replenished as the season has worn on.
For a team like St. Louis, sitting near the Wild Card line and trying to avoid paying premium prices for a short-term fix, that kind of profile is worth monitoring. Sandovals recent first start back was encouraging, and with his contract and injury history shaping how rival front offices view him, he fits the sort of affordable pitching addition that can linger on the deadline market even as bigger names dominate the conversation. [Read more 🡒]