The Boston Red Sox have been one of baseball's best stories in the first 3-plus months of the season. Most expected the Red Sox to repeat their last-place finish in the American League East from the 2023 season, and that prospect looked realistic after star shortstop Trevor Story suffered a brutal shoulder injury in the team's eighth game.
However, manager Alex Cora has put a team of overachievers on the field and they will return to action following the All-Star break with a record of 53-42. They are just 4.5 games behind the first-place New York Yankees and in the American League playoff structure.
They have gotten outstanding performances from Rafael Devers, All-Star Most Valuable Player Jarren Duran, rookie Ceddanne Rafaela and David Hamilton. Rafaela and Hamilton have split much of the time filling the shortstop position, and the pair has been adequate defensively while filling Story's role and they have also been productive at the plate.
When Story suffered his injury during Boston's initial road trip of the season against the Los Angeles Angels, the belief was that his season was over. Story would need the full season to recover from arthroscopic surgery and the hope was that he would be ready when the team reports to spring training next winter.
Story could make an earlier comeback
However, Story met with reporters prior to Friday night's game with the Dodgers in Los Angeles, and he told them that there was a possibility that he might be able to play in the fall if the Red Sox were in the playoffs.
He realizes there are no guarantees that he could come all the way back and that the Red Sox would put a recovering player back into the lineup, but Story is working towards getting himself ready.
“We're having the conversations about it now,” Trevor Story said. “It's too early to say if that's going to happen or not, but always in my mind, it's something that obviously if there's a chance to play in the playoffs, this is why I came to Boston.
“So I think we're being very diligent about the process, we're being respectful, and we're not doing anything that my body is not saying yes to.”
Rafaela has played shortstop and centerfield in his rookie year for the Red Sox, and he is rapidly becoming a Rookie of the Year candidate in the American League and one of the team's most valuable players.
He has risen to the occasion at both positions, and he is slashing .246/.272/.419. Rafaela has belted 11 home runs and driven in 52 runs. He is second to Devers on the team in RBI.
Hamilton is slashing .274/.329/.516 and he has hit 5 home runs and driven in 17 runs.
The Red Sox return from the All-Star break after having won 10 of their last 13 games and recording a 31-18 record since mid-May.
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