In the middle of a hot start, the Boston Red Sox are scrambling after starting shortstop Trevor Story suffered a fractured glenoid bone in his left shoulder.
The two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger landed on his shoulder in an April 5 game against the Los Angeles Angels, diving for a ground ball hit by Mike Trout.
Trevor Story is coming out of the game after this play. Hoping the injury is not as bad as it looks
Craig Breslow, Chief Baseball Officer for the Red Sox, told Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com on April 9 that Story is set to undergo surgery and miss at least six months.
“After speaking with our medical staff further, confirmation on a second opinion and Trevor’s decision to go forward, we had talked about some concern over his bony structure,” Breslow said. “He’s got a fracture of the glenoid rim, so he’ll have surgery on Friday to fix that.”
Story’s timeline will start at six months.
But Breslow acknowledged that’s a ballpark estimation. No pun intended.
“What we’re looking at is probably somewhere in the neighborhood of six months,” Breslow told Cotillo. “It’s difficult to speculate specifically beyond that, but you can do the math there.”
Six months recovery following an April 13 surgery would put the starting shortstop’s return somewhere around October.
So, barring an unexpected World Series run for Boston, and a miraculous recovery for Story, that’s it for him in 2024.
Boston’s shortstop was batting .226/.294/.617 with four RBIs on seven hits through seven games this season.
Much like his first two seasons in Beantown, Trevor Story’s 2024 campaign ends in an underwhelming fashion.
Story Has Been Mostly Injured for Boston Tenure
Above all else, this puts Trevor Story’s future with the Red Sox into question.
He’s played just 145 games in three seasons with the team, whom he signed a six-year, $140 million deal with in 2022.
In 2022, it was a hairline fracture in his right wrist. In 2023, he had right elbow surgery to stabilize a ligament in his throwing elbow.
He expressed his frustrations at the latest injury with Kyle Glaser of MLB.com postgame.
“Just frustrating,” Story said. “It’s not fun getting injured. Kind of a freak thing, but yeah, gonna miss a little time for sure.”
A little time indeed.
What now for the Red Sox?
Boston’s Plans for Shortstop
Boston doesn’t know if they have another Trevor Story sitting in the dugout.
But they’ll try and find one, platooning David Hamilton and Romy Gonzalez at shortstop.
Breslow and the Red Sox aren’t going to turn away from their development-first focus.
“Right now, we’re committed to giving our internal options a chance,” Breslow told MassLive.com. “It works out really well in terms of having right-handed and left-handed platoon options at both middle infield positions.”
Hamilton, who’s appeared in only one game for Boston this season hit a home run in his first 2024 at-bat on April 7.
First at-bat of 2024… DINGER.
He’s the 20th-ranked prospect in the Red Sox farm system.
Gonzalez, who’s appeared in 86 career games with the Chicago White Sox since 2021, was called up from Triple-A Worcester following the Story injury on April 8.
He’s slashing .222/.239/.361 with five home runs and 27 RBIs for his career.
There’s also centerfielder, Ceddanne Rafaela, who signed an eight-year extension with the team on April 8.
But he’s more likely an emergency option.
As unlucky as the Boston Red Sox are, or even more unlucky Trevor Story is, this isn’t the end of 2024 for the club.
And for a few young prospects, it could symbolize the beginning of a major league career.
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Boston Red Sox Reveal Timeline for Injured $140 Million Slugger