Boston Red Sox veteran shortstop Trevor Story is hitting fifth in the lineup on Friday's first game of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles. Given that Story has been the worst hitter in all of baseball in the month of May, that certainly seems like a curious decision. However, the Red Sox will be up against Orioles lefty starter Cade Povich in this matchup, and Story's numbers against lefties remain impressive, albeit quietly. Yet, this is also a massive test for both Story and Boston.
The struggles of Story over the past month-plus at the plate are impossible to overstate. Just looking at the month of May, Story has an abysmal .415 OPS over 69 plate appearances, striking out more than a third of the time (24) and showing next to no power with just one extra-base hit over that span as well.
However, his limited usage against lefties this season is the one thing to cling to. In 39 plate appearances (versus 161 against right-handers), Story has an .874 OPS, which is 336 points higher than that number against righties. He's also mashed as many home runs (3) against lefty as he has against righties in only about one-quarter of the plate appearances.
Subsequently, Friday's opener in the doubleheader will serve as a litmus test for Story to see what he still has left to offer the Red Sox.
Trevor Story getting chance against lefty should be Red Sox final litmus test
While it might seem reductive to say that one set of four at-bats, give or take, against Povich and the Orioles should determine Story's future, it's not just one game. This matchup is a culmination of the past month-plus of watching Story be a net-negative at the plate while also watching his once high-end defense decline as well.
Furthermore, the matchup against Povich could not be more favorable. The O's starter has been part of their awful start, posting a 5.23 ERA on this season. More importantly for Story, right-handed hitters have an .876 OPS against him this season with seven home runs and six doubles off him. If the offense of the Red Sox shortstop isn't broken, then this is the pitcher he'd want to face to prove it against.
The talk of either pushing out of Story from the everyday shortstop role has been bubbling among the fan base for some time now. Manager Alex Cora has still shown faith but, just based on results, that has to be waning now, too. And this matchu could determine whether or not Boston looks to make some changes for a necessary shake-up. Making that more enticing is the Red Sox have options to turn to.
Where do the Red Sox turn if the move on from Trevor Story?
The most obvious move for Boston would be to call-up their No. 2 prospect and a Top 15 prospect in baseball, Marcelo Mayer, to take over at shortstop. That might even be a viable option anyway as the left-handed hitting prospect could potentially platoon with Story to both put the veteran in more advantageous situations while giving Mayer a smoother runway amid the transition from Triple-A. Or, if the Sox go this route, they could just hand the keys to Mayer.
However, if the Red Sox are hesitant to call up Mayer yet, which is a distinct possibility given his relative lack of experience in Triple-A along with Boston's propensity to wait quite a while before a major call-up, there are still options. David Hamilton at shortstop platooning with Story is a possibility, albeit one fans should be worried about after some defensive shortcomings were shown when Hamilton was force into action there last season.
Perhaps the most curious option would also be a call-up, but also a big-time shake-up to the current Red Sox positioning. What if Ceddanne Rafaela moved back to shortstop, thus opening the outfield for Roman Anthony to get the call-up? That's not overall ideal as Rafaela has been arguably the best defensive center-fielder in baseball but these are becoming desperate times as Story is worsening the offensive struggles stemming from the hole at first base.
In any case, though, the Red Sox have to see signs from life from Story extremely soon. If that doesn't happen, they have to make a tough decision with a clubhouse leader, but one that could ultimately benefit this team's playoff hopes. Friday's advantageous matchup could be the turning point for those decisions being made. And if it's not, well, it should be.