The end of Trevor Story’s 2024 campaign has yet to be written.
Many on the Boston Red Sox staff – including Story himself – thought his season was over after he broke his shoulder in mid-April, but recent developments have made a return possible.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect it to go this well because I know how bad it was at the beginning of the rehab process,” Story told WEEI’s Rob Bradford.
“I really believe that my body has turned around. Mentally, too, my mind trusts my body more than ever. Of course, I’m not 100% there yet, but I think I’ve made great progress in that direction.”
Story is in the third season of the six-year, $140 million contract he signed with the Red Sox in the 2022 offseason. He is limited to eight games in 2024 after appearing in just 43 games last year.
However, the 31-year-old said that as part of his shoulder development, he has recently been performing both tee shot and flip drills without pain.
“The last two weeks, the swings have been really good. There really hasn’t been any delays or hesitations in the swing, and I think that’s why we’re optimistic.”
Boston has primarily used David Hamilton at shortstop in Story’s absence. The 26-year-old has an OPS of .706 with 28 steals.
Story is now a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner and widely considered one of the best defensive shortstops. His return would be a huge boost for a Red Sox team that entered Friday one and a half games out of the final wild-card spot in the American League.
