How long does Red Sox’s Trevor Story need to recover after shoulder surgery?

What was supposed to be a full campaign for Story turned into another injury-laden season. During the Red Sox’s April 5 game against the Los Angeles Angels, Story dove for the ball in an attempt to stop a hit by Angels centerfielder Mike Trout. Following the play, Story was visibly in pain, prompting team staff to accompany him off the field.

It hasn’t been easy for Trevor Story

This will be the second straight season where the shortstop will miss a significant amount of games due to an injury. Last year, Story only appeared in 43 games following a UCL surgery the offseason prior. All the time missed seems to have built up the frustration within the two-time All-Star. After watching his team’s Tuesday game against the Baltimore Orioles from the sidelines, Story fought back tears as he spoke to the media about his injury.

“You know missing last season, you feel that you miss your teammates, you miss playing the game,” Story said, before taking a long pause to gather his emotions. “You just know what it takes, but I’ll be alright.” (per NBC Sports Boston)

Through eight games this season, Story slashed .226/.294/.323 to go with seven hits and a .617 OPS. Throughout his tenure with the Red Sox, the 31-year-old batted .227 and tallied 84 RBI as well as 19 homers.

While his stint with Boston has been troubling in terms of health, Story had a more decorated stay with the Colorado Rockies, where he spent his first five MLB years. Garnering two All-Star appearances, Story slashed .272/.340/.523 through six seasons with the Rockies. He also put up a .863 OPS to go with 450 RBI and 158 home runs while donning the Colorado jersey.

With Trevor Story out, the Red Sox’s other options at shortstop would be Pablo Reyes, David Hamilton, and Ceddanne Rafaela. Reyes has been struggling to start the season while Rafaela is showing that he is likely to thrive more at center field. Then there’s Hamilton, who’s batted .273 and tallied a .879 OPS in four games so far, in addition to hitting his first-ever homer in the majors on Sunday. With how things are looking, Hamilton might be the man for the job. All things considered, the season has only just begun, so it will be interesting to see what the Red Sox’s long-term plans are.