Trevor Story Injury: How long is the Red Sox player expected to be out for?

Trevor Story is due to miss a "significant portion" of the 2023 MLB season, according to the Boston Globe. Story's absence will add to the difficulties that his team, the Boston Red Sox, are set to face next season.

"Sox saying they wouldn’t rule out a return for Trevor Story in 2023 has me fully ready for his return in 2025." - Steve Perrault

Story made headlines last season when he decided not to re-sign with the Colorado Rockies, the only team he had ever known. Instead, Story opted to sign a six-year deal with the Red Sox for $140 million.

But his much-anticipated debut for the Red Sox turned out to be a profound disappointment. Story missed all games from mid-July to mid-August after being struck by a pitch against on July 16. On Sept. 22, he returned to the IL with a left heel contusion, closing the book on his season.

Overall, Story was only able to appear in 94 games for the Boston Red Sox in 2022, hitting 16 home runs and 66 RBIs. As the 2022 season drew to a close, he promised Sox manager Alex Cora that he would do better in 2023.

However, things do not always go according to plan. On Jan. 10, the Red Sox announced that Story would have to undergo surgery on his Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Since the UCL is located on the elbow and vital to be able to throw, it is estimated that Trevor Story will have to miss a significant portion of the 2023 season. Some have even postulated that he could miss the entire season.

"The Red Sox announced that Trevor Story underwent a successful bracing procedure on his right UCL yesterday and is expected to miss some time." - MLB

Story shared a potential timeline for his return speaking to MassLive: “I think best case, I’m back at some point in the second half and worst case, I don’t play this year”

The news is a harsh pill for the Red Sox to swallow. The team has lost some significant bats in free agency this year. J.D. Martinez, who has hit over 130 home runs for the Red Sox in his past five seasons, signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, signaling a tough blow to Boston's offense.

But the largest loss that the Red Sox incurred this past season was that of third baseman Xander Bogaerts. Bogaerts was with the Red Sox since 2013, and was the centerpiece of the infield for about eight seasons. After the 2022 season, Bogaerts announced he signed an 11-year deal with the San Diego Padres.

Trevor Story's injury spells probability of another underwhelming year for the Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox finished dead-last in the AL East in 2022. Because they are in one of baseball's most competitive divisions, they need all the offensive help they can get. While we do not know exactly how long Trevor Story will be sidelined in 2023, we can be sure it will spell a great deal of offensive difficulty for the Red Sox.