Story activated off injured list for stretch run

Story activated off injured list for stretch run

7:10 PM UTC

BOSTON -- When fractured his left shoulder on a dive attempt in Anaheim on April 5 and had surgery a few days later, it was widely assumed his season was over.

But Story beat the odds with relentless work ethic during his rehab and the reward came Saturday, when the Red Sox activated him from the 60-day injured list and put him in the lineup at shortstop.

Story will try to help the Red Sox revive their postseason chances, which have taken a hit during a tough two-week stretch.

The Red Sox have Story, their veteran leader, back for the final 21 games of the season. Entering the day, Boston trails the Twins by five games for the third American League Wild Card spot and the Royals by 5 1/2.

When the season started, the Red Sox were thrilled to finally have Story fully healthy again after he played just 43 games in ‘23 due to right elbow surgery that he underwent the previous offseason.

The nine-year veteran has played in 890 career games, slashing .265/.332/.502 with 177 homers, 534 RBIs and 124 stolen bases.

Given how many months Story has missed, Red Sox manager Alex Cora has set expectations low for the right-handed hitter at the plate.

But Cora is confident that Story, an elite shortstop, can immediately impact a middle-infield defense that has struggled this season.

With Story returning, Ceddanne Rafaela is expected to get the bulk of his time at second base for the rest of the season. Rafaela has been Mr. Versatility for the Red Sox this season, starting 70 games at short, 61 in center field. He has played in six games at second base this season but his one career start there was in ‘23.

Prior to missing 132 games, Story was slashing .226/.294/.323 with three doubles and four RBIs in eight games.

Mickey Gasper, who went 0-for-12 in 10 games after being called up on Aug. 12, was optioned to Triple-A Worcester. The 28-year-old, who grew up in Merrimack, N.H., and played college baseball at Bryant (in Smithfield, R.I.), spent six seasons in the Minor Leagues before getting his first callup to the Majors.