BOSTON — Trevor Story underwent surgery on the elbow of his throwing arm and is expected to miss most, if not all, of next season, delaying Boston’s plans to trade him. in the infield to replace Xander Bogaerts at shortstop.
Red Sox president of basketball operations Chaim Bloom said Tuesday that Story underwent a right ulnar collateral ligament and inner strengthening procedure. The operation is less drastic than ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, known as Tommy John surgery, which requires a year of rehabilitation.
“I certainly wouldn’t rule out him coming back sometime in 2023,” Bloom said at a news conference, a day after Texas Rangers physician Dr. Keith Meister operated on Story. “But it’s not something we want to bet on right now.”
Bloom acknowledged that Story felt elbow pain before Christmas while “increasing his training” to get ready for the season. The inner-strengthening procedure is more innovative than the ligament reconstruction John first underwent in 1974, but has less track record to gauge when Story might return.
Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle underwent a similar, season-ending operation in July.
But even an optimistic four- to six-month schedule drastically changes the Red Sox infield in an offseason in which Bogaerts signed with San Diego in free agency. Story, a two-time All-Star shortstop in six seasons with Colorado, had been playing second base with Boston.
“It’s still an open question, nothing is carved in stone,” Bloom warned. “He was preparing to play shortstop.”
Story switched to second base when he signed with Boston last offseason and hit .238 with 16 home runs and 66 RBIs in 94 games while battling wrist and heel injuries. The Red Sox finished last in the AL East.
