Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story will not play again this season after suffering a fractured glenoid in his shoulder, general manager Craig Breslow told reporters on Tuesday. He had surgery Friday and is expected to need at least six months to recover, giving him no chance at returning this year.
"Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story today underwent a successful arthroscopic repair of the posterior labrum, with an open reduction and internal fixation of the fracture of the glenoid rim," the team said in a statement Friday. "The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache at the Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, CA."
Story departed last Friday night's 8-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels (box score) after suffering what was described as a "significant" left shoulder injury on a diving play. Story incurred the injury during the fourth inning, when he attempted to corral a Mike Trout batted ball. He stayed down and received attention from the training staff before leaving the field.
Story underwent an MRI in Seattle, and on Saturday the Red Sox placed him on the 10-day injured list with what's termed a left shoulder dislocation. In a corresponding move, the team recalled infielder David Hamilton.
On Saturday, a clearly deflated Story said "always have hope for that" when asked whether he would play again during the 2024 season:
Trevor Story says he has a "significant" injury involving his shoulder.
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) April 7, 2024
Still hopes to play again this year.
Looks absolutely crushed. Sucks so much. pic.twitter.com/LMd8qzu16k
Story, 31, entered Friday night hitting .241/.313/.345 (94 OPS+) with four runs batted in over the course of his first seven games this season. Friday night's contest marked just the 145th appearance for Story since he signed with the Red Sox prior to the 2022 campaign. He missed significant time last season following surgery to install an internal brace in support of his ulnar collateral ligament. He also missed a chunk of time in 2022 with a hairline fracture in his wrist.
"You go out there and he's in pain and all that, and you start thinking about everything he did in the offseason to get to this point," Cora said. "He's a guy that very quietly has become the leader of this team. He took ownership of what we were trying to accomplish.
"It's not going to stop, and hopefully nothing is going on and he'll be with us soon. But you start thinking about that. That's the tough part of this job."
Prior to joining the Red Sox, Story had enjoyed a productive career as a member of the Colorado Rockies. Over parts of six seasons he batted .272/.340/.523 (112 OPS+) with 158 home runs and 100 stolen bases. His overall career contributions have been worth an estimated 30.4 Wins Above Replacement and he's a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger Award winner.
It's to be seen how the Red Sox divvy up Story's playing time. Pablo Reyes represents the path of least resistance, but the Red Sox did also bring up infielder Romy Gonzalez from Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday. Offseason addition Vaughn Grissom is also expected to see more action at shortstop as he continues his own recovery from injury.
The best shortstop prospect in the system, Marcelo Mayer, began his season at the Double-A level on Friday.
