Trevor Story fighting through tears over injury news: "Hard to make sense of it"
BOSTON -- Trevor Story has missed a lot of time during his Red Sox career, and he's about to miss a whole lot more. But the veteran shortstop is taking the latest injury news quite hard.
Story is set to undergo surgery to repair a fractured glenoid in his shoulder, an injury he suffered on Friday night while diving for a ground ball in Anaheim. The Red Sox estimate the recovery time to be about six months, thus costing Story the rest of the 2024 season after he had played in just eight games. After playing just 43 games last year and 94 games the year before, Story admitted that he's having trouble processing this one.
"A lot of emotions," Story said in the Red Sox clubhouse Tuesday, after the team lost its home opener to Baltimore. "Frustrated, you know. Just don't really understand it. But I know that it's a time for me to lean into my faith and I know that I'm where I'm supposed to be. But the plan, I think God's plan sometimes, we don't like it, or in the moment it doesn't seem right at all. But I'll continue to have that faith, and that's what's gonna get me through. Hard to make sense of it."
Story said he had some idea that the injury was serious the moment he suffered it, as he heard the shoulder dislocate and felt a pain he had never felt before. But he and the team maintained an optimistic and hopeful outlook, only to have the worst-case scenario confirmed via MRI.
"Hard to imagine, really," Story said.
The 31-year-old missed the bulk of last season after undergoing elbow surgery during the previous offseason. In 2022, his first season in Boston after signing a six-year deal worth $140 million, he was limited by hand and heel injuries that cost him significant playing time.
"Just the frustration of battling this injury thing over the last few years," Story said. "It's something I have hung my hat on in my career is being able to play, post. But that hasn't been the case the last couple years. I just love this game, man. I put my heart and soul into it. I just feel bad."
Story said he can look to new teammate Liam Hendriks, who was treated for non-Hodgkin lymphoma last season and returned to the mound less than five months later, as a case of other players having a more difficult journey than his own.
"Yeah, I'll find the strength to do it again. I did it last year. I've done it recently. Missing time is never easy, but I don't want people to feel sorry for me. It's part of the game," Story said. "You don't have to look far in this clubhouse to realize, to get some perspective. You look at Liam and you look at his situation. I'm dealing with something a lot less than what he's been through. I get to spend more time with my kids, you know?"
Story was clearly in an emotional state, but he nevertheless expressed confidence that he'd be able to get back to where he needs to be.
"Yeah, you know, missing last season, you feel that. You miss your teammates, you miss playing the game," he said. "You just know what it takes. But I'll be all right."