The Boston Red Sox are getting an All-Star back for the stretch run.
Trevor Story will be activated from the injured list ahead of Tuesday's game against the Kansas City Royals, manager Alex Cora announced, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.
Story, who'll presumably make his season debut Tuesday, will spend his first week playing every other day, according to the Globe's Pete Abraham. He'll start games at both shortstop and designated hitter during the early stages of his season.
Story underwent surgery to repair an elbow ligament in January. At the time of the procedure, it was unclear if he'd be able to play this season. He started a minor-league rehab assignment two weeks ago. In 13 rehab appearances split between Double-A and Triple-A, he hit .300/.417/.700 with four homers and nine RBIs and didn't commit an error defensively.
"I'm ready to go now, I'm excited," Story said, adding that his rehab games felt like "a mini spring training," according to Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald.
The 30-year-old will return to his natural position of shortstop after spending his first season in Boston playing second base. Story had shifted to second despite having never played anywhere but shortstop as a professional to accommodate Xander Bogaerts, who left the team this past offseason.
“Reliever style” is how Story described his training and routine coming back from internal brace surgery.
— Gabrielle Starr (@gfstarr1) August 7, 2023
“It’s been a minute” since his arm felt this good.
Boston has had a difficult time replacing Story this year. The team's various shortstops have combined to hit .214/.271/.323 with minus-1.5 fWAR, the worst production in baseball at the position.
Story signed a six-year, $140-million contract with the Red Sox last March after spending six seasons with the Colorado Rockies. He hit .238/.303/.434 with 16 homers, 66 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases in 94 games during his first year with the club.
The Red Sox are close to getting some other members of the team back from injury as well. Left-hander Chris Sale is likely to come off the IL and start Friday's game versus the Detroit Tigers, while righty Garrett Whitlock is targeting a Sunday return, according to Speier.
