Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story continues to raise questions about his readiness after another disappointing performance during his minor-league rehabilitation assignment.
On Wednesday with the club’s Triple-A affiliate, Story went hitless in four at-bats and struck out three times. The outing did little to quiet concerns that his return to the major-league roster may still be some time away.
Story has insisted that he feels physically well and that the primary remaining issue is timing at the plate. He has described himself as being on time with the barrel of the bat but slightly off when trying to square pitches, calling the current results expected at this stage of his recovery.
He has emphasized that he is more focused on how he feels and his ability to control at-bats than on the raw numbers. He expressed hope that a couple of well-struck balls in the coming days would give him the confidence to rejoin the Red Sox.
Those numbers, however, remain poor. Across his rehab stint Story is just 4-for-29 with ten strikeouts, one walk and no extra-base hits. The lack of power or consistent contact has some observers wondering whether timing is the only remaining obstacle.
Before he last played for Boston on May 14, Story was hitting .206 with a .244 on-base percentage and a .547 OPS. He then underwent sports-hernia surgery and has been working his way back ever since.
The Red Sox have not stood still in his absence. Since Story went on the injured list the team has posted a 55-35 record and positioned itself in the wild-card race. Shortstop has been filled by a rotating cast that included Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Marcelo Mayer before both departed for different reasons.
More recently, Andruw Monasterio has seen the bulk of the playing time, with Nick Sogard and Anthony Seigler also contributing. Story himself has acknowledged that those players have performed at a high level and given the club breathing room to be cautious with his return.
That caution creates a roster puzzle. Recalling Story would require sending someone down or designating a player for assignment, moves the organization has so far been reluctant to make with players who have helped turn the season around.
Waiting until rosters expand on September 1 would allow Boston to avoid an immediate corresponding move, but it would also mean Story misses this weekend’s series against the New York Yankees in the Bronx.
Interim manager Chad Tracy has declined to set a firm timeline. Speaking before Wednesday’s game, he noted that an off day gave the club time to sort out whether one or more players might be activated and what corresponding roster moves would be required.
Story’s latest 0-for-4 did not appear to strengthen the case for an immediate promotion, yet Tracy left the door open for a decision as soon as Thursday.
For now the Red Sox remain in a holding pattern, weighing Story’s stated sense of progress against the evidence of continued struggles at the plate and the contributions of the players who have filled the void.
