“It just kind of got to the point where we’ve got to call timeout here,” Story said before the Red Sox played the Braves. “Obviously, I haven’t been able to really move like myself.”
In Story’s absence, Andruw Monasterio figures to absorb much of the playing time. To fill the roster spot, the Red Sox called up Nick Sogard from Triple-A Worcester.
Sogard, 28, played with Worcester in at least part of each of Chad Tracy’s five seasons managing that club.
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“Great human being, good baseball player, fundamentally sound, can move around the diamond, can hit from both sides of the plate,” said the interim Sox manager. “So he gives you options.”
Isiah Kiner-Falefa is another option and then there is second baseman Marcelo Mayer, who rose through the minors as a defensively adept shortstop. The Sox have “kicked around” moving him to his natural position if Story misses an extended period, Tracy said.
That would require giving Mayer practice reps there, Tracy added. He hasn’t had any of those this season.
Story’s problem popped up about two weeks into spring training, he said. He described the discomfort as bouncing from his groin to his hamstring to his abdomen — a set of symptoms that other players told him sounded an awful lot like a sports hernia, even before tests in recent days yielded that official diagnosis.
Tracy had given Story periodic days off to manage what they thought was a groin issue.
“We were trying to give it a break and trying to Band-Aid it a little bit,” Story said.
Tracy said: “You know what he means to our team, his leadership in the locker room. He’s a big piece of the puzzle, so yeah, that part of it stinks. He’s meant a lot to me in my transition here, the way he’s accepted me and pushed other guys to do so. So he’s a big piece of it. We’ll gather more info and see what ultimately happens with it.”
A major injury at least partially explains Story’s significant struggles at the plate and in the field. At 33, Story had seen a major dip in offensive production, batting .206 with a .244 on-base percentage and .303 slugging mark, bad enough to rank among one of the worst all-around hitters in the majors — worse than his slump at this time last year.
He also has committed six errors, tied for the most in the American League at the position with the Angels’ Zach Neto.
“I’m not going to be blaming it all on that, but it plays a part, for sure,” Story said. “The main thing is getting it right. I’m not so much worried about what has happened and more worried about problem-solving it and moving forward with the next steps, whatever that may be.”
The latest on Roman Anthony (sprained right wrist/hand): He played catch “with more intensity,” per Tracy. The Sox now plan for him to begin hitting Monday.
And Garrett Crochet (left shoulder inflammation): He completed a 35-pitch bullpen session and is set for a longer one probably Wednesday.
Braves ace Chris Sale has made habit in recent years, he said, of gifting bottles of bourbon to former teammates when they come to town. When Story and Garrett Whitlock received theirs this weekend, so did Tracy, whom Sale knew only a bit from their overlapping Sox years. But with Tracy new to the majors, Sale sought to wish him well. “I enjoyed being around him. He was always great to me when I was pitching on rehabs,” Sale said. “Just a tip of the cap. I know you got a lot going on right now over there, starting your new career in the big league.” . . .. . . Brayan Bello will start Sunday against Atlanta, Tracy said. The Sox won’t use an opener this time because their lefthanded relievers have been overworked lately. . . . During a pregame Armed Forces Day ceremony at Truist Park, US Army Golden Knights parachuted onto the field. . . . Saturday marked the 155th anniversary of the Braves’ first-ever home game — at a time when they were known as the Boston Red Stockings and played at the South End Grounds, according to the Braves. They lost to the Troy (N.Y.) Haymakers, 29-14. After the National Association folded after 1875, Boston became the Boston Reds and joined the National League in 1876 and adopted the Braves nickname in 1912.
Tim Healey can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @timbhealey.
