Red Sox's Alex Cora Names Trevor Story's New Position Upon Return From Surgery
One of the biggest questions facing the Boston Red Sox all season has been where the club will place Trevor Story defensively upon his return to the diamond.
When Story had his internal bracing surgery over the winter, nobody knew if he would be able to return to action at any point this season. Now it seems like a return date could range anywhere from post-All-Star Break to August.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora finally gave some insight on how his presence will shake up the defensive alignment.
"Cora said Trevor Story is continuing to make steady progress," The Boston Globe's Alex Speier tweeted Friday. "Is he being built up as a shortstop? '100 percent.'"
Story played second base in all 94 games he appeared in for the Red Sox last season. Part of the reasoning for his position change was due to Xander Bogaerts already being on the roster. The other factor was Story's arm, which had been falling apart for years.
However, before Story's arm issues, he had a cannon. There's a solid chance he'll return to form post-surgery. Story was a National League Gold Glove finalist at shortstop in 2019 when he recorded an astounding 21 defensive runs saved.
The 30-year-old will be a much more reliable option than Kiké Hernández and projects to be a much more impactful offensive contributor as well.
Hernández could move back to a utility role, where he can be a high-end center fielder or second baseman while still pitching in as shortstop occasionally.
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