Tag: trevor story

Trevor Story (left heel pain) remains out of Red Sox Sox lineup, targeting weekend return

Trevor Story is not in the Red Sox’ starting lineup for Friday’s series opener against the Royals at Fenway Park. The second baseman has missed each of Boston’s last two games after banging his left feel on the first-base bag in the seventh inning of Sunday’s 1-0 win over the Orioles in Baltimore.

Earlier this week, Red Sox manager Alex Cora had been optimistic that Story would be able to return by Friday at the latest. That no longer appears possible, but Cora remains hopeful that the 29-year-old will be back in the lineup at some point this weekend.

“He’s doing a little better,” Cora said of Story (via MLB.com’s Ian Browne), who is officially dealing with left heel pain. “We’re going to push him tomorrow to do more baseball activities. Hopefully he can post tomorrow or Sunday.”

Story, who was sidelined for more than six weeks earlier this summer because of a small hairline fracture near his right wrist, has batted .340/.389/.500 with five doubles, one home run, eight RBIs, four runs scored, three stolen bases, four walks, and 17 strikeouts in 13 games (54 plate appearances) since returning from the injured list on August 27.

With Story out of the lineup, Christian Arroyo is starting at second base in his place while also batting seventh on Friday.

(Picture of Trevor Story: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Trevor Story (sore left heel) not in Red Sox lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against Yankees; Christian Arroyo starting in his place

Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against the Yankees at Fenway Park.

Story has been dealing with soreness in his left heel since Sunday, when he grounded into an inning-ending double play in the seventh inning of a 1-0 win over the Orioles in Baltimore.

Upon making contact with the first-base bag, Story came up gimpy and was removed from the game. He was replaced defensively by Christian Arroyo, who will be starting in his place at second base on Tuesday while batting sixth.

Story, who spent more than six weeks on the injured list earlier this summer because of a small hairline fracture near his right wrist, does not expect to be out too long this time around. The 29-year-old told reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham) that he is day-to-day after banging his left heel. Red Sox manager Alex Cora also said he does not believe Story’s injury is serious and he should be by Wednesday or Friday at the latest.

Since returning from the 60-day injured list on August 27, Story has batted a stout .340/.389/.500 with five doubles, one home run, eight RBIs, four runs scored, three stolen bases, four walks, and 17 strikeouts over his last 13 games (54 plate appearances). He has also provided the Red Sox with superb defense at second base, a position he had never played at the major-league level prior to this year.

Arroyo, meanwhile, has been on a hot streak of his own at the plate. The right-handed hitting 27-year-old is slashing .342/.377/.488 with 10 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 17 RBIs, 15 runs scored, two stolen bases, seven walks, and 23 strikeouts across his last 32 games (131 plate appearances) dating back to July 30.

On the other side of the ball, Arroyo will be making his 26th start of the season at second base on Tuesday. In the process of logging 223 innings at his primary position this year, Arroyo has posted four Defensive Runs Saved and an Ultimate Zone Rating of 1.1., per FanGraphs.

Latest on Yu Chang

Speaking of infielders, the Red Sox claimed Yu Chang off waivers from the Rays on Monday. Chang is already on Boston’s 40-man roster, but the 27-year-old will need to be added to the major-league roster since he is out of minor-league options.

Because of this, the Red Sox will need to remove someone — whether it be by placing them on the injured list, optioning them, or designating them for assignment — from the 28-man roster in order to activate Chang.

MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports that Chang is not expected to join the club on Tuesday, so they are not required to make a roster move yet. However, it will be something to monitor in the coming days.

(Picture of Christian Arroyo and Trevor Story: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Rafael Devers crushes grand slam as Red Sox rack up season-high 21 hits in 17-4 romping of Orioles

The Red Sox put an end to their four-game losing streak on Saturday with a commanding win over the Orioles. Boston defeated Baltimore by a final score of 17-4 to even the three-game series and improve to 68-72 on the season.

With Jordan Lyles on the mound for the O’s, the Sox did not waste any time in jumping out to an early lead. After Tommy Pham drew a leadoff walk, Alex Verdugo singled, and Xander Bogaerts was plunked by a pitch, the bases were loaded with no outs in the first inning for Rafael Devers.

Devers, who had not homered in his last 21 games, got ahead in the count at 2-0 and promptly cranked a 425-foot grand slam into the Red Sox bullpen in deep left-center field. The 26th home run of the season for Devers had an exit velocity of 104.6 mph and put Boston up, 4-0.

Michael Wacha, making his 19th start of the season for the Sox, already had a four-run lead to work with when he took the mound for the first time on Saturday. The veteran right-hander put together yet another quality outing, allowing three earned runs on six hits and zero walks to go along with five strikeouts over six innings.

The first of those three runs came in the bottom of the third, when Wacha served up a solo shot to Cedric Mullins. The Red Sox lineup, however, responded by putting up another four-spot in their half of the fourth.

After Enrique Hernandez and Kevin Plawecki traded places on back-to-back one-out doubles, Verdugo plated Plawecki on a line-drive single to right field. Verdugo moved up to second base on a Bogaerts single and then scored from there when Devers greeted new Orioles reliever Keegan Akin by ripping a run-scoring base hit to left-center field. Trevor Story capped the four-run inning off with another RBI single that drove in Bogaerts left his bat at 99.6 mph.

An inning later, J.D. Martinez led off with a softly-hit double and was immediately driven in when Christian Arroyo clubbed a two-run homer 396 feet over the left field wall for his sixth big fly of the year.

Wacha, meanwhile, ran into some more trouble in the bottom of the fifth. After Gunnar Henderson reached on a leadoff single and moved up to third on a Ramon Urias double, Wacha yielded a sacrifice fly to Jorge Mateo that scored Henderson. Urias, who advanced to third on the play, came into score on an RBI single from Mullins.

Though he was charged with both of those runs, Wacha stranded Mullins by punching out Adley Rutschman before retiring three of the final four batters he faced in the sixth. The 31-year-old hurler wound up throwing 82 pitches (60 strikes) while inducing a total of swings-and-misses. He picked up his 11th winning decision of the season and lowered his ERA to 2.69.

Following a scoreless seventh inning from Ryan Brasier, Boston tacked on additional run off Baltimore reliever Yennier Cano in the top of the eighth. Abraham Almonte led off with a single, marking his first hit in a Red Sox uniform. Almonte went from first to third on a two-out single from Devers and then came into score on a 100.7 mph base hit from Story.

Taking a sizable 11-3 lead into the latter half of the eighth, Matt Strahm took over for Brasier. The left-hander got the first two outs of the inning and was well on his way to getting his third, but Story misplayed a 197-foot flyball off the bat of the pinch-hitting Ryan McKenna and was charged with a fielding error. McKenna was able to take second as a result, and then scored from second on a Ryan Mountcastle RBI single.

In the top of the ninth, Almonte provided some late scoring with an RBI single that pushed across Hernandez from second base. Connor Wong, who came off the bench to pinch-hit for Devers, followed with an infield single that brought in Plawecki and kept the bases loaded for Story, who drew a four-pitch walk to plate Almonte.

That prompted an Orioles pitching change, as McKenna — the right fielder — took over for Cano. Martinez, Arroyo, and Hernandez kept the line moving by driving in three more runs before Plawecki grounded out to mercifully end the inning. Eduard Bazardo closed it out with a scoreless bottom of the ninth to secure a one-sided 17-4 victory.

All told, the Red Sox went 11-for-17 with runners in scoring position on Saturday while racking up a season-high 17 runs on a season-high 21 hits. Almonte, Verdugo, Story, Martinez, Arroyo, and Plawecki each had two hits. Devers went 3-for-5 with five RBIs and Hernandez went 4-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Pham exits with left shin contusion

Tommy Pham exited Saturday’s game in the middle of the fourth inning because of a left knee shin contusion he sustained in the top of the first. He went 0-for-1 with a walk and run scored prior to getting pulled and is considered day-to-day. In his place, Abraham Almonte went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Next up: Hill vs. Bradish in rubber match

The Red Sox will look to close out a series win over the Orioles on Sunday afternoon. Veteran left-hander Rich Hill will start the finale for Boston while right-hander Kyle Bradish will do the same for Baltimore.

First pitch from Camden Yards is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Rafael Devers: Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Xander Bogaerts and Trevor Story lead the way as Red Sox finish off sweep of Rangers with 5-2 win; Triston Casas records first career hit in debut

The Red Sox completed their four-game sweep of the Rangers on Sunday afternoon. Boston defeated Texas by a final score of 5-2 at Fenway Park to extend its winning streak to five and improve to 67-68 on the season.

Josh Winckowski, starting in place of the injured Kutter Crawford, allowed two earned runs on three hits and three walks to go along with three strikeouts over four innings of work.

Both of those Rangers runs came right away in the top half of the first, as Winckowski began his day by issuing a four-pitch walk to Marcus Semien. The rookie right-hander then gave up a one-out single to Nathaniel Lowe, which put runners on the corners for Adolis Garcia, who ripped a run-scoring ground-rule double down the right field line. Jonah Heim followed by driving in Lowe with a groundout to give his side a 2-0 lead right out of the gate.

Despite that early deficit, the Red Sox lineup quickly responded in their half of the first. Matched up against Rangers righty Dane Dunning, Tommy Pham and Alex Verdugo both reached base on a pair of hard-hit singles before Xander Bogaerts came through with a ground-rule double of his own to cut Texas’ lead in half.

After Rafael Devers popped out into foul territory, Trevor Story took aim at the National Car Rental sign above the Green Monster for a 382-foot three-run blast. Story’s 16th home run of the season was accompanied by a bat flip and had an exit velocity of 101.9 mph. It also gave Boston its first lead of the day at 4-2.

An inning later, Connor Wong drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second base when Pham was hit by a pitch, and moved up to third on a Verdugo flyout. Bogaerts then drove him in with a sharply-hit opposite field single.

Winckowski, who had already retired the side in order in the top of the second, continued to settle into his outing by tossing two more scoreless innings. The 24-year-old hurler threw 82 pitches (47 strikes) and induced nine swings-and-misses while lowering his ERA on the season to 5.75.

In relief of Winckowski, Kaleb Ort received the first call out of the Boston bullpen from manager Alex Cora. Ort worked his way around a walk in the fifth and recorded the first two outs of the sixth before Wong threw out Leody Taveras at second base to end the inning.

Jeurys Familia and Matt Strahm each faced the minimum in the seventh and eighth, paving the way for John Schreiber to come on in the ninth. Schreiber, in turn, notched his second save in as many days by punching out two in a 1-2-3 inning. As a result, Ort was credited with the first winning decision of his big-league career.

Speaking of firsts, Triston Casas made his highly anticipated major-league debut on Sunday. The 22-year-old recorded his first career hit on an infield single in the fifth inning as part of a 1-for-4 day at the plate. He made solid contact on three separate occasions and provided stout defense at first base.

Story, meanwhile, provided some stellar defense of his own in the sixth inning. Playing in shallow right field as part of the shift, Story left his feet and made a fantastic leaping grab to rob Heim of a 107.7 mph line-drive single. On the other side of the ball, the 29-year-old finished a triple shy of the cycle and is now batting .464 (13-for-28) over his last seven games since returning from the injured list on August 27.

To the right of Story, Bogaerts went 3 for 4 with a double, two RBIs, and one run scored. He has now compiled eight straight multi-hit games to raise his batting average to an American League-leading .317.

Next up: On to St. Petersburg

Even on the heels of their first series sweep since late June, the Red Sox still trail the Blue Jays by 7 1/2 games for the third and final American League Wild Card spot. They will look to make up more ground in that race as they open a three-game series against the Rays in St. Petersburg on Monday.

Veteran right-hander Michael Wacha is slated to get the start for Boston in the series opener. Tampa Bay has yet to name a starter.

First pitch from Tropicana Field is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN and MLB Network.

(Picture of Trevor Story: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox activate Trevor Story from injured list, option Jarren Duran to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have activated second baseman Trevor Story from the 10-day injured list. In a corresponding move, outfielder Jarren Duran was optioned to Triple-A Worcester on Friday night, the club announced prior to Saturday’s game against the Rays at Fenway Park.

Story returns after missing the last six-plus weeks with a small hairline fracture near his right wrist. The 29-year-old sustained the injury in St. Petersburg on July 12, when he was hit in the right hand by an 89 mph sinker from Rays starter Corey Kluber.

It took until earlier this month for Story to swing a bat pain-free again. He was sent out on a rehab assignment with Double-A Portland on Wednesday and went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, three RBIs, one walk, and three runs scored over two games for the Sea Dogs. The right-handed hitting infielder was slated to play at Hadlock Field on Friday as well, but that game was rained out.

Coming into play on Saturday, Story has slashed .221/.289/.423 with 17 doubles, 15 home runs, 58 RBIs, 49 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 28 walks, and 105 strikeouts across 81 games (342 plate appearances) with the Red Sox this season. On the other side of the ball, the two-time All-Star currently ranks first among American League second baseman in Defensive Runs Saved (8) and third in Outs Above Average (9), per FanGraphs.

Duran, meanwhile, has struggled to a .220/.283/.365 clip at the big-league level this season to go along with 14 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 17 RBIs, 23 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 14 walks, and 63 strikeouts over 57 games (219 plate appearances). That includes a .182/.247/.318 slash line in 44 games since July 1.

Regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system coming into the 2022 campaign, Duran has continued to impress with his speed but has had his fair share of difficulties in the outfield. The soon-to-be 26-year-old has posted negative-9 defensive runs saved over 408 1/3 innings in center field this season.

While he may have shown some signs of improvement as of late, the Red Sox want Duran to continue to work while playing on a more-frequent basis in Worcester. In 43 games with the WooSox this year, the left-handed hitter has batted .305/.379/.531 with 12 doubles, five triples, six homers, 28 runs driven in, 34 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 20 walks, and 48 strikeouts across 198 trips to the plate.

(Picture of Trevor Story: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Trevor Story to begin rehab assignment with Double-A Portland on Wednesday

Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Portland on Wednesday, manager Alex Cora said before Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

Story has been sidelined since July 12, when he was hit in the right hand by an 89 mph sinker from Rays starter Corey Kluber. After X-rays came back negative, Story was diagnosed with a right hand contusion. The Red Sox were hopeful that he would avoid the injured list but placed him on the 10-day IL four days later.

Nearly two weeks after being placed on the injured list, Story began to swing a bat again. But the right-handed hitter still complained of discomfort and was unable to grip a bat properly. That prompted the Red Sox to send Story to get a second opinion from a hand specialist, who diagnosed the 29-year-old with a small hairline fracture near his right wrist.

Following that diagnosis, Story was shut down from swinging for 10-14 days. He resumed swinging earlier this month and progressed to the point where he was hitting off a tee before joining the Red Sox on their most-recent road trip last week.

While with the club in Pittsburgh and Baltimore, Story hit indoors off a high-velocity pitching machine. On Tuesday afternoon, he told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier that he took batting practice on the field for the first time breaking his wrist.

With the WooSox on the road this week, Story will join the Sea Dogs in Portland for their series against the Hartford Yard Goats. Cora was not sure how many games or at-bats Story would need before being cleared to return to the Red Sox.

Story, who signed a six-year, $140 million deal with Boston in March, was batting .221/.289/.423 with 17 doubles, 15 home runs, 58 RBIs, 49 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 28 walks, and 105 strikeouts over 81 games (342 plate appearances) at the time of his injury.

Coming into this season, Story had never played second base in his six seasons with the Rockies. Despite that lack of experience, the two-time All-Star currently ranks first among all American League second baseman in Defensive Runs Saved (8) and third in Outs Above Average (9), per FanGraphs.

Taking that into consideration, Cora indicated on Tuesday that once Story is back, “there’s a good chance” Christian Arroyo will slide over to first base after holding down the fort at second during Story’s absence.

(Picture of Trevor Story: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Trevor Story still dealing with discomfort in right hand

Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story is still dealing with some discomfort stemming from the right hand contusion he suffered earlier this month, manager Alex Cora said Thursday.

Story, who took an 89 mph sinker from Rays starter Corey Kluber off his right hand on an awkward swing at Tropicana Field on July 12, has been on the 10-day injured list for the last two weeks.

While X-rays on Story’s hand came back negative, it took until this past Sunday for the 29-year-old to start swinging a bat again. He took more swings on Wednesday, but did not do so before Thursday’s game against the Guardians at Fenway Park.

“He’s doing OK. He swung the bat yesterday. Today, nothing,” Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith). “So we’ll see how it goes over the weekend. Hopefully, he keeps trending in the right direction and we go from there.”

Given that he swings from the right side of the plate, Story has had some issues when it comes to gripping and swinging the bat with his top (right) hand.

“Where it got him, it was in a tough spot,” said Cora. “The swinging part of it, the top hand, has kind of been hard for him to feel comfortable with it. (If) he doesn’t feel comfortable to go out there and compete with his swing where he’s at, then there’s nothing we can do.”

At the time he got injured, Story was batting .221/.289/.423 (93 wRC+) with 17 doubles, 15 home runs, 58 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, 49 runs scored, 28 walks, and 105 strikeouts through 81 games (342 plate appearances) this season. The two-time All-Star has also posted eight defensive runs saved, the most among American League second baseman.

That quality of defense, according to Cora, is something the Red Sox have missed dearly while Story has been sidelined.

“He had become the rock of the infield,” Cora said.

On Sunday, Cora did not give a definitive answer when asked if Story will require a rehab assignment. That could soon change the longer Story remains out.

(Picture of Trevor Story: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Trevor Story to play for Team USA in 2023 World Baseball Classic

Trevor Story will represent the Red Sox and the United States in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, USA Baseball announced on Monday.

Joining a team that is captained by Angels superstar Mike Trout, Story is slated to play in the World Baseball Classic for the first time in his career. The Texas native did not suit up for Team USA in 2017 and the 2021 WBC was postponed until 2023 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Story, 29, is in the first year of the six-year, $140 million deal he signed with the Red Sox back in March. The right-handed hitting infielder is currently batting .221/.289/.423 with 17 doubles, 15 home runs, 58 RBIs, 49 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 28 walks, and 105 strikeouts over 81 games (342 plate appearances) this season. He has not played since July 12 because of a right hand contusion.

After spending the first six years of his big-league career as the Colorado Rockies’ everyday shortstop, Story has emerged as a Gold Glove-caliber second baseman thus far in Boston. Coming into play on Monday, the 6-foot-2, 213-pounder ranked first among qualified second baseman in defensive runs saved (8) and second in outs above average (9), per FanGraphs.

Given his experience up the middle, Story could serve as Team USA’s starting second baseman or shortstop next spring. Those responsibilities fell to Ian Kinsler and Brandon Crawford when the United States last won the World Baseball Classic in March 2017.

This time around, Team USA will open group play at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. next March. They will compete against Canada, Colombia, Mexico, and another country that has yet to qualify. The championship game will then take place at loanDepot Park in Miami on March 21.

In addition to the United States, the Netherlands will also compete in the upcoming WBC. Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts — a native of Aruba — played for the Netherlands in 2013 and 2017. It remains to be seen if he will do so again in 2023.

(Picture of Trevor Story: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Trevor Story swings bat for first time since suffering right hand contusion

For the first time in nearly two weeks, Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story swung a bat on Sunday.

Story has not appeared in a game since July 13 after taking an 89 mph sinker from Corey Kluber off his right hand on an awkward swing at Tropicana Field the night before. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with a right hand contusion and X-rays on said hand came back negative.

Boston placed Story on the 10-day injured list on July 16, retroactive to July 14. Prior to Sunday’s milestone taking place, the right-handed hitting infielder had been limited to just tracking pitches in the batter’s box.

When speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) ahead of Sunday’s 8-4 loss to the Blue Jays at Fenway Park, Red Sox manager Alex Cora expressed optimism when providing an update on Story’s status.

“He swung today,” said Cora. “A lot better. So we’ll see how he reacts during the day and hopefully, at some point this week, he’ll be OK. But he swung today. He swung early. So things are trending in the right direction.”

While Cora indicated that Story could return to the fold in the coming days, he could not give a definitive answer when asked if the two-time All-Star will require a rehab assignment prior to getting activated off the injured list.

“We’ll talk about it,” Cora said.

Story, meanwhile, is itching to get back at it. In the first year of the six-year, $140 million deal he signed with Boston in March, Story is currently batting .221/.289/.423 (93 wRC+) with 17 doubles, 15 home runs, 58 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, 49 runs scored, 28 walks, and 105 strikeouts over 81 games (342 plate appearances). He has also provided the Sox with exceptional defense at second base (positive-8 defensive runs saved), a position the ex-Rockie never played at the major-league level prior to this season.

“I feel much better and just rehabbing around the clock. The whole time trying to get better,” Story explained to The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams on Sunday. “Definitely moving in the right direction. Once I can get [the hand] going and let it rip without crazy soreness, then that will be good. I just have been playing around with the bat just because it’s hard for me to stay away from it.”

(Picture of Trevor Story: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

X-rays on Red Sox’ Trevor Story, Matt Strahm both come back negative

The Red Sox received encouraging news on second baseman Trevor Story and left-hander Matt Strahm on Wednesday afternoon. Per MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, X-rays on Story’s right hand and Strahm’s left wrist both came back negative.

Both Story and Strahm were forced to leave Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Rays early due to injury. In the top of the fifth inning, Story was struck in the right hand by an 89 mph sinker from Corey Kluber as he attempted to swing at the pitch.

Rather than make contact with the bat, though, the ball hit the top of Story’s right hand. The 29-year-old was in visible pain as he walked down the third base line and received a visit from Red Sox manager Alex Cora and a team trainer. A few minutes later, Story came out of the game and was pinch-hit for/replaced at second base by Jeter Downs.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Strahm was struck by a 98 mph line drive off the bat of Taylor Walls. The comebacker deflected off Strahm, who threw the ball away as he attempted to get Walls out at first base before keeling over in pain. Like Story, Strahm was visited by Cora and a team trainer before exiting the game and being relieved by Kaleb Ort.

Story was later diagnosed with a right hand contusion while Strahm was diagnosed with a left wrist contusion. The two spent part of their Tuesday night at a local hospital to get X-rays taken.

According to Cotillo, it is unclear at this point if Story and/or Strahm will require a trip to the injured list. The Red Sox are waiting to see how both players feel upon arriving at Tropicana Field on Wednesday before making any IL-related decisions.

The Red Sox, as noted by Cotillo, already have 11 players on the injured list. And although right-handers Garrett Whitlock and Nathan Eovaldi are expected to be activated this weekend, losing Story and Strahm would be a blow to a team that has struggled so far in the month of July.

(Picture of Trevor Story: Mike Carlson/Getty Images)