Red Sox’ Trevor Story hits RBI in 2024 Fenway Park debut

Trevor Story made his presence felt in the Red Sox lineup in his 2024 Fenway Park debut on Saturday night.

In his first MLB action since dislocating his shoulder on April 5 in Los Angeles, Story had an RBI single in the bottom of the third inning to give Boston a 6-2 lead over the Chicago White Sox at the time.

Watch the 31-year-old’s single that set up second baseman Romy Gonzalez:

The hit was Story’s only hit of the night. He went 1-for-4 at the plate and struck out twice.

After undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery on April 12, his return to the field Saturday was unprecedented. Story played shortstop for the Red Sox less than five months after being on the operating table.

The shortstop spoke of his joy at being able to play for Boston despite his lengthy initial recovery program at the start of the season.

“We didn’t think I’d be here at this point,” Story said after the game. “It feels like forever ago that I was answering questions about this injury ending my season. I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to do that.”

He also explained that he looks forward to helping the Red Sox as the team battles for the third and final American League wild card spot in the coming weeks.

“We didn’t think this day would be possible this soon,” Story said before the game, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “So it’s definitely a blessing that I’m in this situation. It’s a big win for me personally to come back this year and get some games under my belt. I’m so excited about it and I’m just excited to get back on the team and play some games that matter.”

With Story’s return, manager Alex Cora said Friday that Story is the Red Sox’ starting shortstop. That means Ceddanne Rafaela, who played 81 games at shortstop for the team this season, will move to second base when he’s no longer in center field going forward.