Trevor Story's return raises questions about Red Sox middle infield alignment

When Trevor Story underwent surgery in April to repair a glenoid fracture in his left shoulder, the procedure was billed as season-ending.

In the months since his surgery, Story's timeline has changed. In late July, Story suggested he would try to return to action before the end of the 2024 slate. By Aug. 11, Alex Cora shared that he "truly believes" the shortstop could play late in the season.

On Aug. 22, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow gave the most definite update on Story's recovery progress on an episode of WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show."

"There's a real, strong chance that [Story] is putting on a Red Sox uniform and helping us at some point," he said.

The veteran has been training in the infield for weeks but began swinging the bat more recently. His defense could return stability to Boston's frequently-changing middle infield and his righty bat could be back in the lineup sooner than the Red Sox expected.

Trevor Story return should give Red Sox blueprint for offseason moves

Story's return could complicate things for Boston's middle infield and outfield alignments, though. Ceddanne Rafaela has posted a quality first season between shortstop and center field. Most of his reps have come in the infield recently, which has helped the Red Sox avoid a sticky situation in the outfield.

Jarren Duran, Tyler O'Neill, Wilyer Aberu, Rob Refsnyder and Rafaela have all served Boston well in the outfield, and Rafaela's frequent stints at shortstop have helped Alex Cora use all of his available outfielders frequently. Story's return could send Rafaela back to the outfield for good, and he's played so well lately that leaving him out of the lineup may be out of the question.

Rafaela is slashing .313/.358/.391 with 36 hits in his last 30 games. His defense has been characteristically solid in both of his positions, and the Sox need him on the field every day. But a permanent transition back to the outfield could severely limit someone else's playing time.

Refsnyder and O'Neill are both righties, and Boston has needed more impact from the right batter's box all season. They're slumping a bit, so the streaking Rafaela may be able to pick up some of their offensive slack, but O'Neill had been sick and healing a leg infection before his most recent games, which could've contributed to his offensive stall.

Story's return could also limit reps for David Hamilton and Nick Sogard, who was optioned to Worcester on Aug. 17. Rosters expand soon, however, and the Red Sox may hope to get some of their up-and-coming middle infielders late-season, high-stakes reps before next season.

Boston will likely experience the same lineup logjam next season, but on an even larger scale. O'Neill is an impending free agent and Refsnyder may retire, which could clear up some of the outfield issues, but Story, Rafaela, Hamilton, Sogard, Vaughn Grissom, and possibly Marcelo Mayer could all factor into the Sox's middle-infield dilemma. Some offseason moves may be necessary to clear the crowding up the middle.

Overall, Story's return is a positive development for a team in the hunt for a playoff spot. He provides a righty bat, high-quality defense and years of MLB experience for a young club that hopes to make a push. But the many lineup questions can't be ignored, and the Red Sox front office will have some work to do to limit lineup congestion next season.

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