Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow toyed with the idea of trading for a shortstop before Monday's MLB trade deadline.
But in the end, Breslow reeled in catcher Adley Rutschman, leaving interim manager Chad Tracy with a limited number of options at shortstop.
That's because infielders Trevor Story, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Curtis Mead remain on the injured list.
But one of the walking wounded is getting closer to returning to the lineup.
"Story may return by the end of the month," the Boston Globe's Tim Healey reported Thursday.
The two-time All-Star has been on the shelf since May after undergoing sports hernia surgery.
"Story’s return isn’t imminent," Healey noted. But the 33-year-old shortstop "is getting 'closer' to appearing in minor league games," according to Tracy.
In the meantime, Andruw Monasterio is getting the majority of reps at shortstop for the Red Sox. And he hasn't looked out of place while posting a respectable .782 OPS. So is it possible Story is getting Wally Pipped and could be forced to move over to second base?
“We haven’t even gotten into that,” Tracy said, per Healey.
“There’s consideration for everything, but we haven’t even gotten close to getting into that. Obviously, Mona’s taken over short. Trevor’s played a lot of short. He’s a good defender, so I think you have to keep all things on the table in our situation," Tracy added, according to Healey.
Story signed a six-year, $140 million contract before the 2022 season, but injuries have derailed his time in Boston. Last year was the first time he played more than 100 games in a season for the Red Sox. And Story flashed the bat that made him a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, hitting 25 home runs with 96 RBIs and .741 OPS in 157 games.
He's on the books for $25 million in 2027 and the Red Sox own a club option for 2028.