The Boston Red Sox are close to getting Trevor Story back, but if he is not hitting like he did last year, he could actually hurt their offense.
The middle of the infield has actually done fine offensively as of late. Andruw Monasterio has done nothing but produce at the plate since taking over at shortstop, and Chad Tracy said he will play second base when Story is back. Nick Sogard and Anthony Seigler have been getting the job done at second base with Curtis Mead out, however.
If Story comes back and continues to hit as he did before going on the injured list, he will actually be a downgrade. He had a .547 OPS before his injury and is not doing much better in Triple-A on his rehab assignment.
He is 4-for-25 with one walk for the WooSox. He has no extra-base hits and has struck out seven times. It's worth noting that results are not always too important on a rehab assignment, but still, Story has not given much reason to believe he will be back in form when he's back.
"Overall, feeling really good,” Story told The Boston Globe's Alex Speier on Tuesday. “I’m on (time with) the barrel, just a touch off (on squaring pitches). (It’s) to be expected. I think more than the results, it’s more about how I’m feeling and kind of dictating the at-bat. And I’m in a good spot there. So, next day or two, hit some barrels and feel good about (returning).”
When Story, Roman Anthony and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are ready to return, the Red Sox will have to make room for them on the roster. That could mean moving on from some red-hot bats. Mickey Gasper, Sogard, Seigler and Monasterio have done a great job keeping the Red Sox afloat, but as the stars come back, they are at the greatest risk of losing at-bats. However, their performance has allowed Story, Sisiah Kiner-Falefa and Anthony to take their time on rehab.
“Those guys have played really well, and did their job at a really high level,” said Story. “It’s given us a little bit of a cushion to, if I don’t feel 100 percent sharp, it’s okay to take a couple extra and really make sure that the body feels good. And I feel like I owe it to the team, owe it to myself, everybody involved with this thing to come back and be the best version of myself.”