If Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story plays again this season, it will come in the team’s final series of the year against the Rays at Fenway Park next week.
Story, who has been sidelined with a left heel contusion since September 11, continues to feel discomfort when he runs. The Red Sox originally thought it was a day-to-day injury, but later opted to place the veteran infielder on the 10-day injured list last Monday.
With time running out on the season, manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that Story would not play in this weekend’s series in Toronto because he does not want the 29-year-old running on the turf at Rogers Centre.
“We’re trying,” Cora told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne). “He’s out there taking grounders. The running progression is the hard part. The moving around and the swinging the bat has been OK, but when he gets to that 70-75 percent, that’s when he feels it. We’re still working, and hopefully he can play a few games.”
Story, who signed a six-year, $140 million deal with Boston in March, has been limited to just 94 games this season due to two stints on the injured list. He missed more than six weeks of action earlier this summer because of a small hairline fracture near his right wrist.
Upon returning from the IL in late August, the right-handed hitter put together a productive 13-game stretch before slipping on the first-base bag in Baltimore earlier this month. He has now missed each of the Red Sox’ last 13 games coming into play on Tuesday and will miss at least five more through the weekend.
When healthy, Story has batted .238/.303/.434 with 22 doubles, 16 home runs, 66 RBIs, 53 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 32 walks, and 122 strikeouts in 396 trips to the plate. He has also posted five Defensive Runs Saved and 10 Outs Above Average in 813 2/3 innings at second base.
If Story is able to run without any sort of discomfort in the coming days, he should have the chance to end his first season in a Red Sox uniform on an encouraging note and — perhaps more importantly — on his own terms.
(Picture of Trevor Story: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
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