The latest Trevor Story injury update became clear Thursday when the Red Sox announced a decision involving the veteran shortstop ahead of their series finale matchup with the Orioles.
With Boston fighting to stay in contention, any decision involving the veteran Story and the three years left on his $140 million contract is a big one as the club navigates a pivotal stretch of the season.
The Boston Red Sox transferred Story to the 60-day injured list Thursday, a move that rules him out until after the All-Star break and brings his turbulent Boston tenure to yet another halt. Boston announced two additional roster moves alongside the transfer, ahead of its 1:35 p.m. ET game against Baltimore.
The 60-day designation aligns with the 8-to-12-week recovery window Story received following surgery May 21 to repair a sports hernia, according to The Athletic Red Sox reporter Jen McCaffrey. It is Story’s fifth IL stint as a Red Sox player.
Kahnle Added, Samaniego Optioned in Red Sox Roster Shuffle
The club officially selected veteran reliever Tommy Kahnle to the active major-league roster Thursday, a move MassLive beat writer Christopher Smith had reported earlier in the day. Kahnle, 36, arrived from Triple-A Worcester having posted a 1.40 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 18 appearances, and he is available to pitch in Thursday’s series finale against Baltimore.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Kahnle, Boston transferred Story to the 60-day IL. To clear a spot on the 26-man active roster, the Red Sox optioned left-handed reliever Tyler Samaniego to Triple-A Worcester, according to MassLive‘s Smith. Samaniego posted a 2.66 ERA across 20 outings this season but is one of the few remaining relievers on the roster who still holds minor league options.
The club had no choice on Kahnle’s timing. He had triggered an opt-out clause Monday, meaning Boston needed to add him to the active roster Thursday or lose him to free agency.
Story Sports Hernia Timeline and 2026 Struggles
Story’s groin problems first emerged in a late-April game against the Baltimore Orioles, according to MassLive. Boston kept him in the lineup through early May, but the discomfort made it inevitable that Boston would sit him out. He underwent surgery May 21 to repair the sports hernia, an injury to a tendon or muscle in the lower abdomen or groin.
The surgery came in the middle of a season that was already a battle for Story, to say the least. Story was batting .206 with three home runs and a .547 OPS through 41 games, a steep decline from his 2025 campaign when he posted a .263 average with 25 home runs and a .741 OPS. His defense had also slipped, with three errors in his first 14 games of 2026 after finishing last season ranked in the third percentile in range among all major league shortstops.
The open question heading into the second half is whether Boston’s shift of Marcelo Mayer from second base back to his natural shortstop position in Story’s absence is seen as a permanent move and, if so, what that says about Story’s future role on the Red Sox roster.
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