Red Sox star returning from injury for last-gasp push for Wild Card spot

The Boston Red Sox have had several reasons to lose hope this season, but the return of this star player may be a reason to gain some.

The Boston Red Sox have had several reasons to lose hope this season. They’ve had an unstable and inconsistent rotation, bullpen and lineup, and they’ve struggled like crazy to hold it together this season. There is, however, a potential silver lining with second baseman Trevor Story officially coming back from the injured list.

Story is in Saturday’s lineup against the Tampa Bay Rays, one of Boston’s division rivals. He’s been one of the more stable parts of the lineup. This season, he’s hit .224/.292/.425 for an OPS of .717. This has been the worst season of his career, but he’s still been highly reliable.

Story’s one of the best hitters in Boston, which is needed more than ever now.

Trevor Story could significantly help the Boston Red Sox lineup

The Red Sox lineup has been concerning all season. Though it’s one of the better parts of the team, it still needs a lot of work. Among all MLB teams, the Red Sox currently have the seventh-best batting average (.257) and11th-best on-base percentage (.316), slugging percentage (.409) and OPS (.725).

They’re slightly above league average, but their overall performance hasn’t reflected potential.

They’ve won three series this month, one of which was against their biggest rival, the New York Yankees. They’re fighting hard for the Wild Card spot while they sit at the bottom of the AL East standings, the only team below .500.

Story’s bat has been on fire this season. He’s hit 15 home runs and has often influenced the Red Sox to Tweet “It’s Story time” in celebration. If he returns in full health and ability, he could undoubtedly help give Boston the extra push toward a Wild Card spot.