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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 30: Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox walks to the dugout prior to facing the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on May 30, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Boston Red Sox opened their series against the New York Yankees on Thursday night at Fenway Park with a 33-46 record and a roster stretched thin by injuries. Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony remain sidelined. The lineup Boston is putting on the field every night is not the one anyone envisioned in March.

But on Thursday, a piece of good news arrived from a player who has been out of sight since mid-May.

Trevor Story provided a notable update on his recovery timeline, and the news was better than anyone expected.

Story Provides Return Update

Story has been on the injured list since May 16 after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia. The initial timeline projected a return somewhere in the eight-to-twelve-week range. On Thursday, Story told Rob Bradford of WEEI that he is tracking toward the shorter end of that window.

Bradford reported that Story is currently feeling like his return will fall closer to eight weeks than twelve and that he has already been hitting.

Interim manager Chad Tracy offered an encouraging assessment on June 18, noting that Story had begun jogging at a solid pace and had taken some swings off a tee. Tracy said he was “in a better spot than I figured I’d see him in at this point.”

The progress since then has apparently continued. If the eight-week timeline holds, Story could be back in the lineup before the end of July.

What Story Means for the Second Half

The Red Sox have needed middle-of-the-order production all season.

Story has not provided it thus far. Before the sports hernia shut him down in May, his numbers were well below the standard he set in 2025. The bat that delivered a .263 average and 25 home runs across 157 games last season had not shown up in the same form this year.

A returning Story does not automatically fix the lineup. But a return at or near the eight-week mark would give the Red Sox a veteran presence at a point in the calendar when the season is either going to slip away completely or start to turn.

Boston’s chances at a playoff push are slim at 33-46, but they are not mathematically dead. Story, Crochet, and Anthony all returning would change the composition of this team in meaningful ways.

GettyTrevor Story.

Red Sox Take Series Opener Against Yankees

Whatever happens on the injury front, Thursday night provided the kind of performance that keeps a clubhouse believing.

Boston beat New York 6-3 behind Connelly Early, who held the Yankees to two runs over six frames while striking out nine batters. Early had flown back from Denver a day ahead of the team to get extra rest, and the preparation showed. He set down the final seven hitters he faced, finishing four of them with strikeouts.

Caleb Durbin delivered the decisive blow, driving a two-run homer into the Monster Seats off Cam Schlittler in the fifth to break a 2-2 tie. He finished 2-for-3 with a walk after playing through a finger injury suffered the day before.

GettyCaleb Durbin #5 of the Boston Red Sox. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images)

Final Word for the Red Sox

Story’s timeline is encouraging. The Red Sox need healthy bodies. They need production from familiar names. If Story could return to his 2025 form, he would provide that.

Thursday’s win was a reminder that this team is still capable of competing when things break right. The pitching held. The offense delivered in the moments that mattered. The energy at Fenway was real.