Red Sox injury news: Trevor Story to begin a rehab assignment Friday
Many of the Red Sox' injured players, including Trevor Story and Chris Sale, have made considerable progress and look to make their returns soon.
The list of names on the IL for the Boston Red Sox could get smaller very soon.
Red Sox
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said on Tuesday that Trevor Story will play five innings at shortstop in a rehab assignment on Friday at Double-A Portland. That assignment will continue over the weekend, when Story will DH on Saturday and play five more innings at shortstop on Sunday.
The Red Sox have been very careful with Story’s rehab up to this point. This caution has paid off, as Story now feels good enough physically to play in games again.
“He feels ready, and this is more about him than anything else,” Cora said on Tuesday. “We’re not cutting corners on the rehab. We just feel like right now is the time to go, and let’s see how long it takes.”
It’s possible that Story will remain on assignment for up to 20 days, the maximum amount of time position players are allowed to spend on rehab assignments. The Red Sox say they will not rush this assignment, and Story’s major league return will depend on how he adjusts to minor league action.
“This is not a one-week thing. We want him to get his feet under, bounce back after nine innings, all that stuff. This is just the beginning, but it feels good just to know that he’s going to go out and play.”
Story has been kept off the field this season after receiving surgery on his elbow in Jan. 2023. His return will mark his first major league game since Sept. 11, 2022.
Story isn’t the only position player preparing for a comeback soon. Infielder Pablo Reyes could return soon after abdominal soreness scratched him from a game against the Twins on June 20. He DH’d for Double-A Portland on Sunday and recorded a double, and scored two runs while playing in center field on Tuesday.
The Red Sox do not know when exactly Reyes will return to action, but they hope he’ll be ready soon.
“Let’s see how he feels,” Cora said. “Probably needs a few more bats during the week.”
Catcher Reese McGuire suffered an oblique injury against the Twins on June 21, but he caught two innings for RHP Corey Kluber on Monday, per NESN’s Mike Monaco.
Cora could not estimate a timetable or rehab assignment for McGuire, but he says the catcher is making progress.
“He’s swinging the bat at 50 percent,” said manager Alex Cora, per MLB.com. “He’s catching bullpens and all that. He stayed back. Nothing yet as far as rehab assignment.”
Speaking of Kluber, the two-time Cy Young winner will pitch two innings in a rehab assignment on Friday, per Monaco. Kluber has been sidelined since June 21 due to a shoulder injury, but he threw 30 pitches in a bullpen session on July 9.
LHP Chris Sale threw a bullpen session of his own on Tuesday, and he “felt good” doing so, Cora told MLB.com’s Sonja Chen. A shoulder injury has kept Sale out since the Red Sox removed him from a game on June 1. He is eligible to return from the 60-day IL on Aug. 1.
RHP John Schreiber dominated his rehab assignments, recording one hit, one walk and three strikeouts during his 2 ⅔ scoreless innings over three games in Triple-A Worcester. The Red Sox will activate him very soon, either on Sunday against the Mets or July 25 against the Braves. It will be his first game back since a shoulder injury put him on the 60-day IL.
Starters Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock do not have timetables for their returns, but both have resumed baseball activities. Whitlock played catch on Monday, per Monaco, and Houck will throw off a mound on July 25. Houck’s facial fracture seems to be progressing better than Whitlock’s elbow injury, but both are expected to remain out until August at the absolute earliest.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com