Red Sox Announce Trevor Story Decision Before Crucial Yankees Series

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The Red Sox announced a Trevor Story decision ahead of their crucial series against the rival New York Yankees.

The Boston Red Sox open what could be the most crucial series of their 2026 season Friday night when they take on the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the first of a four-game set between the top two teams in the American League wild-card race.

The Red Sox sit two games behind New York in the race for the top AL wild-card berth, and with it, home field in all three games of a 2-of-3 playoff series. But Boston had already won five of the nine meetings between the arch-rivals this season. That means at least a split of the four games gives the Red Sox the tiebreaker that would determine higher seeding in case the teams finish with even records.

Before the first game against the Yankees, the Red Sox announced an important decision on a veteran clubhouse leader who has been on the injured list since May 15 after last playing May 14.

Shortstop Trevor Story — a 33-year-old, 11-year veteran — is remaining on his Triple-A rehab assignment, with the Boston Red Sox refusing to name a firm date for his return.

Trevor Story’s Rehab Numbers Raise Questions

The shortstop reportedly wants to be in New York this weekend, but a lineup that has thrived in his absence makes patience the safer bet and postpones the Boston front office from needing to make a painful roster move with one of several players who are currently contributing to the team’s incredible 41-14 run since June 24.

Story and fellow rehabbing outfielder Roman Anthony elected to take extra at-bats Thursday in Worcester, according to MLB.com, before a re-evaluation that could have triggered a Friday call-up. Friday came and went with Story still with the WooSox, not the Red Sox, on an off day that mirrored Boston’s own schedule.

Chris Cotillo of MassLive confirmed the same holding pattern Friday. Story was present in Worcester, absent from the lineup card, with no jump to the Bronx.

Story is hitting only .156 with no extra-base hits through nine rehab games, striking out 10 times with just a single walk, according to The Boston Globe‘s Alex Speier. A chase rate hovering near 39 percent has followed him from the majors to Worcester.

Story insists the swing is coming, even if the results lag behind it.

“I think about it a lot,” he said of Boston’s 2025 wild-card series heroics against the Yankees, a series in which he hit .385 with the team’s only home run. He believes that he can duplicate that performance, and said he wouldn’t be pushing for a return, “if I didn’t think that was the case,” per Speier’s report.

MLB rules cap a position player’s rehab period at 20 days before a team must activate or shut him down.

Story has seven days left, but Boston has enough capable fill-ins at short that nobody is forcing Story’s hand before he’s ready.

Story’s right groin issue was classified as a sports hernia. He underwent surgery in Philadelphia on May 21, according to MLB.com‘s Ian Browne, with an initial six-to-10-week outlook that has since stretched past three months.

Boston Red Sox Weigh Return Timeline Amid Playoff Push

Before the injury, Story was hitting .206 with a 32 percent strikeout rate over 41 games, a sharp drop from a 2025 season that produced 25 home runs, 96 RBI and 31 stolen bases. Core and groin discomfort had bled into everything: his swing, his glove work, his baserunning.

Boston has gone 27-12 since the All-Star break without Story or Anthony in the lineup, which is precisely why the front office feels no urgency to rush either one back. The Red Sox have injury scars from Story’s first three Boston seasons, when he totaled just 163 games between 2022 and 2024.

“Guys have really played well in my absence, and I’m super proud of them,” Story said, framing his own return as an addition to a formula that’s already working.

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