After opening the 2025 MLB season with a win, the Boston Red Sox are officially trending in the wrong direction. Back-to-back losses have the Red Sox sitting with a 1-2 record ahead of Sunday's series finale against the Texas Rangers, leaving time to tell if Alex Cora's club will leave the Lone Star State with a .500 record.
Following Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Rangers, Red Sox fans have been wondering if Cora will make any major changes to the lineup. Sunday afternoon revealed that was indeed the case, and the Boston manager's latest plans indicate that one underperforming veteran is already in the doghouse.
Red Sox Scratch Trevor Story Before Sunday's Finale vs. Rangers
Amid a slow start to the 2025 campaign, the Red Sox have announced that shortstop Trevor Story will be sitting for Sunday's game against the Rangers. MassLive's Sean McAdam reports that the struggling infielder "is being given the day off" and will be replaced by David Hamilton at short.
Red Sox lineup: Trevor Story sits in series finale in Texas https://t.co/nvl2UkCOpj
— Sean McAdam (@Sean_McAdam) March 30, 2025
Story being scratched is far from surprising based on his play through his first three appearances. The two-time MLB All-Star has struggled at the plate so far, recording only one hit while striking out three times across 11 at-bats, resulting in a .091 batting average and .167 on-base percentage.
Even though that's a small sample size, it's the opposite of the type of performance the Red Sox expected to see when they signed the veteran infielder to a six-year, $140 million contract in March 2022.
Story's early season struggles are the latest example of his contract aging like warm milk. The Irving, TX native was rarely available in the three previous seasons, with injuries limiting him to 163 appearances in 486 possible outings (33.5% availability). His 21 home runs and 90 RBIs are far from the worst production. However, his .232/.296/.397 slash line during that stretch left much to be desired.
Hopefully, Story uses his off day to help him get back on track. He's proven that he can be an MVP candidate when he's healthy and focused, meaning his 2025 performance — good or bad — could be the difference between the Red Sox making or missing the MLB postseason.
It wouldn't be shocking if the Red Sox attempted to shop Story if he can't show signs of life by continuing to struggle with injuries and at the plate. It was only in January 2024 when MLB insider Jared Carrabis reported that Boston was open to trading the former 2011 first-rounder, meaning talks could be revisited if improvements aren't made before the July trade deadline.
In the meantime, Cora & Co. will give Story an opportunity to get out of the dog house so that he can, hopefully, help the club go on a championship run. Speaking of which, the Red Sox are currently tied for the seventh-best 2025 World Series odds (+1800) on FanDuel Sportsbook as Opening Day weekend winds down.
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