BOSTON — The Red Sox are now preparing for the possibility that shortstop Trevor Story won't play again this season.
Before Tuesday's home opener, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow revealed that Storey will undergo surgery later this week to repair a fracture in the glenoid rim of his left shoulder.
“What we're looking at is probably somewhere around six months,” Breslow said. “It's difficult to make a concrete guess beyond that, but we can do some calculations.”
The surgery will be performed in Los Angeles on Friday by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neel El-Atrash.
Storey dislocated his left shoulder while trying to stop diving in Anaheim on April 5.
“As soon as I heard the announcement, I knew it wasn't going to work at this point,” Storey said. “Just the pain I felt, but I've never felt anything like it before. You always try to be optimistic and hope that even if it goes away, it will come back again. Just trying to make the best of the situation. But obviously something else happened and it was more serious than I expected. It's hard to imagine.”
After his team lost 7-1 to the Orioles, Story fought back tears as he faced the reality that he would miss a large portion of the season for the second straight year. Story played in 43 games in 2023 after returning from right elbow surgery.
“A lot of emotions. Frustrated. I don't understand,” Storey said. “These are difficult times and it's hard to understand.”
The 31-year-old was examined by Red Sox physician Evan O'Donnell on Monday, at which point the team became concerned about the anatomy of Story's shoulder.
Earlier Tuesday, manager Alex Cora said Storey would fly to Los Angeles on Friday to get a second opinion from El Atrache.
“It's kind of a recent development here,” Breslow said. “[Story] In fact, after speaking with medical staff and getting further confirmation from a second opinion, he was scheduled to undergo surgery and after discussing concerns about his bone structure, Trevor decided to go ahead with the surgery. ”
The loss of Story is significant for the Red Sox. After suffering injuries throughout his first two seasons in Boston, he entered spring training in great shape and looked ready to be the team's No. 3 hitter and primary shortstop.
Mr. Breslow called Mr. Storey's loss “very significant.” “We're not going to hide what he meant to this team defensively, and we had full confidence that he would contribute just as well offensively. I saw what he can do. Fortunately, he has emerged as a leader on this team and I think he still has ways to positively impact the team. Unfortunately, at the moment he is unable to be on the field. Looks like I can't.”
At least initially, the Red Sox will likely replace Story with a midfield interior platoon.
David Hamilton will start at shortstop against right-handed pitchers. Romy Gonzalez, who was promoted from Triple-A before Tuesday's game, will get an honorable draw against the left-hander.
At second base, Emmanuel Valdez will start against right-handed pitchers and Pablo Reyes will start against left-handed pitchers.
Rookie center fielder Sedan Rafaela can also play both center field and infield, but the Red Sox prefer to have their defensive stud in center field as often as possible.
Another infielder who will soon enter the equation is Vaughn Grissom, who is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment Saturday after missing spring training with left hamstring and groin ailments.
The Sox acquired Grissom as a second baseman, but given the storyline, they could get him in the short term.
“Like I said the other day, we have to move forward,” Cora said. “It may sound difficult, but that's the nature of the game. Yes, as a leader, as a player, as a runner, as a defender, as a hitter, we're going to miss him. But we're going to miss him. No matter who plays shortstop that day, just play yourself. Don't try to be Trevor Story. There's only one of them and he probably won't play this year. ”