BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox’s postseason chances haven’t looked great lately, but on Friday, the team got a reminder that it’s possible to beat the odds.
Five months after what at the time was considered season-ending shoulder surgery, Trevor Story is on the precipice of an unlikely comeback. On Friday, manager Alex Cora made the announcement that barring anything unforeseen, Story will be in the lineup Saturday and start at shortstop.
“On the personal side, just for him to be out there, it’s huge,” Cora said. “He got to work, he didn’t hesitate. He had a purpose and it was going to happen. And I am very happy for him.”
Story’s return comes at a time when the team is trying to claw its way into a postseason spot. Friday night’s 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox snapped a five-game losing streak. The Red Sox sit five games back of the third American League wild-card spot as Kansas City and Minnesota, teams that own the final two wild-card spots, meet this weekend. Seattle, with a win over St. Louis, pushed ahead of the Red Sox and sits 4 1/2 games out.
Rafael Devers snapped an 0-for-13 skid with two hits and Enmanuel Valdez’s 12-pitch at-bat in the seventh helped set up Ceddanne Rafaela, who clubbed a two-run homer to break a tie and push the Red Sox ahead.
crushed 👊 pic.twitter.com/6x8lyS0pDf
— Red Sox (@RedSox) 7 September 2024
The odds aren’t great for the Red Sox and Friday’s win wasn’t pretty but it was a win nonetheless. With Story returning, the Red Sox hope they can emulate the way he has exceeded injury recovery expectations.
It was a remarkable turnaround for Story, who broke his non-throwing shoulder on a diving play during the eighth game of the season. From April to mid-July, Story stayed away from the team, rehabbing at Elite OrthoSport in southern California where he had shoulder surgery. The 31-year-old rejoined the Red Sox after the All-Star break for their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, increasing his workouts until he began a rehab assignment last week with Triple-A Worcester. After just four games, including a 4-for-5 night on Thursday, Story thought he was ready.
“It’s very important not only for us, but for him as well, just go out there and play,” Cora said.
There is no expectation Story will boost an offense that has struggled mightily in recent weeks. That trend continued Friday, as the lineup collected just five hits in the win. But it’s clear Cora sees Story’s return as a morale boost for the team, one he believes can rejuvenate the club over the next 21 games. Meanwhile, Story’s defense will undoubtedly solidify the team.
With Story expected to play shortstop, the Red Sox will move Rafaela to second base, a position at which he has appeared just 10 times in the majors, including just one start. However, Cora is not worried about the move due to Rafaela’s overall defensive excellence.
“He’s a good athlete. He was practicing at second,” said Cora, who told Rafaela about a week ago that he would play second when Story returned.
“It’s just something else on his resume,” Cora added. “And we expect him to be a good defensive second baseman.”
Rafaela beamed when asked about the opportunity to play alongside Story.
“I’m really excited to have him back and see the amazing player that he is,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox got another reminder of long shots on Friday after adding right-hander Luis Guerrero to the active roster.
Luis Guerrero is pitching during the Dominican Series this spring. (Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
The 2021 17th-round pick not only faced an uphill battle to reach the majors as a late-round draft pick, but he overcame physical limitations along the way. The 24-year-old, who was born in the Dominican Republic but moved to Boston as a child, walks with a limp due to complications from knee surgery when he was young. He has limited mobility in his right knee, but that hasn’t stopped Guerrero from emerging as one of the best relief arms in the Red Sox system. Guerrero has excelled out of the Worcester bullpen this season with 79 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings.
“If you have the will to put in the work and the work ethic, you can do it,” Cora said, referring to retired MLB pitcher Jim Abbott, who was born without a right hand. “He’s a big leaguer now. That’s amazing.”
To make room on the roster for Guerrero, however, the Red Sox designated Rich Hill for assignment. Hill has been forced to overcome long odds throughout his career and did so again last month, signing a deal with the Red Sox and pitching in his 20th major league season after taking most of the year off to coach his son’s Little League. . a team Hill built back up and reached a point where he was contributing at the big league level, yet after Cora used him for four outings in five days, the workload was clearly too much for Hill. His departure created an opportunity for Guerrero.
As with the Red Sox’s postseason hopes, chances are fleeting. Story’s unlikely arrival coincides with an uphill battle until October with slim chances of making it, but the shortstop has already done the unthinkable this season, perhaps his acceleration will help them achieve a seemingly impossible task.
(Top photo from Story from earlier this season: Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
