The Boston Red Sox are close to getting Trevor Story, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Roman Anthony back from the injured list.
Anthony will seemingly go back to splitting time in left field and at designated hitter and Story back to being the everyday shortstop. However, it may not be that simple.
"I don’t foresee a scenario where we get new players here, and I’m just going to not play the guys (who have been playing),” interim manager Chad Tracy said Tuesday, per The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham. “We’re getting to the point of the season where we have a month left. It’s about trying to win every single game. What gives us the best chance that night’s game to do that? “This is not necessarily the point of the season where it’s like we’re going to work through it. We’ve got to go out there and try to win the game — and that’s with whoever’s available that night to start.”
In reality, with Masataka Yoshida injured and Jarren Duran having a down year, Anthony will go back to being a regular. However, the infield is not so easy to get Story and Kiner-Falefa back into. For one, Andruw Monasterio has hit very well since slotting into an everyday role. Anthony Seigler and Nick Sogard have done a good job at second base as well, so if Tracy plans on playing the hot hand, it's going to be hard to just bench them for bigger names like Story and Kiner-Falefa.
In fact, Anthony may have to wait for Mickey Gasper and Jarren Duran to cool down before he's a lock to be in the lineup every day. Duran has been much better this month, and much closer to his All-Star form. Gasper has a 2.208 OPS in his last seven games, so taking him out of the lineup right now does not make much sense.
Of course, some of these bats will have to go down to make room for Story, Kiner-Falefa and Anthony. However, it seems like Story and Kiner-Falefa have more to worry about than Anthony. Story makes too much money to sit on the bench, but Tracy seems to be willing to do what it takes to win.
Story was solid last season, but was terrible at the plate before his injury this year. Kiner-Falefa was hitting .277 in 47 games before his injury, but he will have to prove he can be better than Monasterio and Sogard essentially.