When Is Trevor Story Returning From The IL? Fantasy Baseball Injury Update

The Boston Red Sox are in last place in the competitive American League East, however, reinforcements are on the way.

Outfielder Adam Duvall returned to the lineup last week after two months on the injured list, and now starting shortstop Trevor Storyappears close to a return himself.

How soon will Story be ready to play? Will he play the field or just DH? Let's take a look at the latest reports and find an answer.

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Trevor Story Injury Update

Both the Red Sox offense and defense have struggled this season, and they desperately need to improve. One position in dire need of an upgrade is at shortstop, where Kike Hernandez is killing the team. He leads all major league shortstops in errors(14) and is hitting a pitiful .228 at the plate. 

Upgrading the team would mean slotting Hernandez into the outfield mix, and inserting Story back at SS. The question is, however, when will the latter be ready to play? This week, the 30-year-old told reporters he could envision coming back as a DH in July, and then maybe a return to the field in August.

These timelines are all way ahead of schedule for Story, and also just hypotheticals, as they could change with any setbacks during the veteran's rehab process. Recovering from surgery in January on his throwing elbow, manager Alex Cora would welcome his return with open arms as the team could use an upgrade anywhere it can get one. Cora said Story is currently working out with the team and is throwing from 120 feet, plans to take batting practice soon, then will return to the Sox's minor league complex in Florida to complete his rehab. 

Trevor Story Fantasy Baseball Outlook

If the Red Sox get the former Rockies infielder and two-time All-Star back, it would be a major upgrade over their current situation. However, fantasy owners need to proceed with caution, and consider holding off on doing jumping jacks for the time being. Story hasn't exactly lit the world on fire since coming to Boston. Last year, the SS hit just .238 with 16 HR, 66 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. 

If your fantasy roster is desperate for a middle infielder, there are certainly worse options available than Story. He is absolutely worth a speculative add in all leagues and can be stored on an IL spot if you have the room until seeing how he performs post-return. 

An injury to the elbow for any athlete can be tricky, and there is no way to predict how he will respond to live game action this summer. However, the 2018 and 2019 Silver Slugger winner won those awards for a reason, so if he can return to any semblance of his old self, fantasy managers could get a wonderful mid-season acquisition as the stretch run to the fantasy playoffs approach.

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