Getty Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora will have to consider backup options with shortstop Trevor Story heading to the IL
The Boston Red Sox suffered a significant loss just a few games into the 2024 season as shortstop Trevor Story dislocated his shoulder and was placed on the injured list after making a diving defensive play.
As the slugger undergoes further evaluation, the Red Sox will have to prepare to be without him for significant time, given the initial severity of this latest injury and his lengthy history of missing games. Outlining the team’s options, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic projected a range of changes to the 40-man roster.
“With Story out for the foreseeable future, the Red Sox will turn to other internal options,” McCaffrey wrote. “Pablo Reyes started at shortstop on Saturday and figures to see a good amount of playing time in the immediate future with (David) Hamilton mixing in as well.”
Hamilton was recalled from Triple-A as Story was placed on the 10-day injured list. McCaffrey added that the Red Sox might turn to another minor-league option or a defensive shift as well.
“Romy Gonzalez is another utility man on the 40-man roster currently in Triple A,” she noted. “In another scenario, the Red Sox could also shift Ceddanne Rafaela to shortstop.”
Assessing the Boston Red Sox Roster Options With Shortstop Trevor Story Out
Initially, Reyes is listed as the go-to substitute for Story on the depth chart. In six big-league seasons, he has slashed .254/.315/.361 in 477 at bats and has a .967 fielding percentage in 269 innings at shortstop.
Meanwhile, the next man up now seems to be Hamilton, who connected for four hits in 33 at bats with the Red Sox in his MLB debut last season. In 393 at bats with Triple-A in 2023, he slashed .247/.363/.438.
Gonzalez has three years of big-league experience with the Chicago White Sox, slashing .222/.239/.361 in 230 career at bats, though he has just 36 career innings at shortstop. He opened his 2024 campaign with some power, slashing .375/.407/.958 with three homers and 10 RBI in 24 at bats.
And finally, Rafaela has emerged as one of the most exciting and versatile young players on the Red Sox, building on a 28-game debut in 2023 by slashing .270/.319/.508 in Spring Training and earning himself a roster spot to open 2024. He has started games in the outfield and at second base this year, but also played 45 innings at shortstop in 2023.
McCaffrey also downplayed the possibility of the Red Sox calling up highly-touted shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer as a solution.
“While it might be tempting to rush top prospect shortstop Marcelo Mayer to the majors, the team is unwilling to force such a jump on Mayer and want to ensure he can produce effectively in Double A for the time being,” she noted.
The Red Sox Have a $140 Million Roster Gap Without Trevor Story
It’s hard to imagine any of those options replacing the potential of Story, who is in the third year of a six-year, $140 million contract with the Red Sox. He’s a career .265/.332/.502 hitter in nine MLB seasons, with two All-Star nods, two Silver Slugger Awards and three years of MVP votes.
“None of those options inspire confidence, though the club’s outlook up the middle could improve when infielder Vaughn Grissom makes his season debut after being sidelined with a hamstring strain to open the season,” MLB Trade Rumors added.