The roster lists Trevor Story as a member of the Boston Red Sox, but throughout this improbable turnaround season, he hasn't been much more than a nominal member of the team. On the injured list since mid-May, the 33-year-old shortstop has looked on with the rest of us while the Red Sox transformed from an embarrassment to a serious World Series contender in the wide-open American League. Many called for Story to be dealt at the MLB trade deadline or designated for assignment after a brutal Triple-A rehab stint, and interim manager Chad Tracy took heat for immediately reinserting Story as the team's starting shortstop as soon as Story was ready.
On Monday, Story rewarded his skipper's confidence -- and finally joined this season's fun. Story's walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning gave the Red Sox a 9-8 win over the Seattle Mariners, and another entry into one of the wildest Boston seasons in memory. That wasn't even his only contribution, either, as his three-run double in the eighth inning pulled the Red Sox within a run and set the stage for Roman Anthony, also freshly back in the lineup from the IL, to help tie the game in the ninth inning and send the game to extra innings.
"We've been watching from afar for a while, just supporting the boys, just thinking about the time that we can get back on the field and contribute," Story told NESN's Jahmai Webster. "We would talk about it a lot and just be thinking kind of forward to that, and here we are. It's very fun." Most of this season hasn't been very fun for Story.
When he hit the IL, he was batting .206 with a .547 OPS. In 41 games, he contributed zero wins above replacement. Several players -- most notably Andruw Monasterio -- thrived at shortstop in his absence, making it look like there was a good chance Story had lost his job for good.
His return has been encouraging, however. He recorded two hits Sunday against the New York Yankees in his first game back, the played the hero Monday. The streakiest of hitters on a streaky Red Sox team, there's no telling when Story will revert back to the noodle-swinging weakling who can't hit the ball out of the infield.
But for now, he's back, and he's hot. And however the rest of the season plays out, he can now say he was a part of it. More MLB: Red Sox Dealt Another Major Blow As Postseason Nears
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