Trevor Story Returns to Colorado as Red Sox Comeback Looms

DENVER — Despite the circumstances surrounding what would be his final game with the Colorado Rockies, Trevor Story’s last time in Denver devolved into an inauspicious one.

Story led the team out of the dugout by himself, a plan crafted by his longtime friend and teammate Charlie Blackmon. Colorado responded each inning the Washington Nationals scored, with Story going 4-for-4 during the 10-5 victory.

It was 70 degrees at first pitch before the temperature dropped 20 degrees when the rains came, prompting a two-hour delay. Few from the Wednesday afternoon crowd of a little more than 20,000 stuck around for Story’s sendoff.

Those that stayed said their goodbyes as the entire Rockies team walked around the warning track, as per tradition. Since the pandemic still loomed large, heartfelt embraces with fans were limited.

Even the post-game media availability took place via Zoom with no congenial handshakes with the media who appreciated covering Story for six seasons.

“It was weird. I wish it was a little different. The rain delay kind of took the life out of the crowd a little bit,” Story said of his final game with Colorado. “It’s always fun playing here. And I love the fans. They’ve always treated me well. They’ve embraced me from day one. So it’d be cool to kind of feel that again tonight.”

Story referred to his first return as “closing a chapter” when the announcement that he would make the trip to Denver was first made. Partly to remove the taste of that final game in 2021, partly to put the past behind him, like when he spent the final two months with the Rockies even though trade rumors strongly linked him to contenders at that year’s deadline. 

“Crazy emotions where you don’t know what’s gonna happen. You feel like something’s gonna happen, and that doesn’t happen,” he said of not getting traded. “It’s like what Bud (Black) always says, ‘Be ready for anything.’”

Story is on the 60-day IL as he recovers from left shoulder surgery. He’s doing some light throwing and is back in the Boston Red Sox‘s clubhouse after rehabilitating at Elite OrthoSport in Los Angeles. 

“We’re 0-3 with him in the dugout,” manager Alex Cora joked, referencing the recent three-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. “Trevor is a great kid. Obviously, it hasn’t been perfect since we got him. But at one point, he will be perfect.”

The goal that Story has set for himself is to get back onto the field before the end of the season. If the Red Sox — currently one game back of the final American League Wild Card — can play as they did through the first half of the year, Story will be integral for an October run.

“More than halfway I would say,” Story said of his recovery. “We’re gonna be smart about it, and we’re not going to do anything reckless. Gotta listen to my body because it was a pretty traumatic thing. So in respect to that, we’ve created a lot of momentum.”

Story has played in only 145 games with Boston due to varied injuries since signing a six-year, $140 million contract in March of 2022.

Kris Bryant, the player Colorado opted to sign in free agency that same offseason for seven years at $182 million, has had a similar fate. He has just 148 games played over the past three seasons.

“It’s been a really bad string of luck for Trevor,” Charlie Blackmon said. “Unfortunately, he didn’t really have an extended period of time where (Boston) got to see who he was and what he was about, where he was before he got hurt, so it must be really tough to be in that situation.”

It’s the first time the Red Sox are passing through Denver since Story left the organization that originally drafted him 45th overall in 2011.

The previous time the Red Sox played at Coors Field in 2019, Story was playing for the Rockies. He went 4-for-9 in a pair of purple losses. Before that, Story was playing in High-A Modesto in 2013 the last time the 2007 World Series combatants met in Colorado.

“It’s kind of surreal. A little weird coming in on the other side (of the ballpark),” Story said on Monday. “It’s great to be back at this ballpark and see a lot of great friends. A lot of friends that are family. I spent a lot of time over there and built some great relationships that are still ongoing, so it’s always great to see all of them. Just good vibes.”

Coors Field is where he hit 16 of his 27 home runs in 2016 to set a new National League record for shortstops. It’s where he hit three homers in a single game during the 2018 pennant race against the Dodgers. That season would end up being the closest the Rockies have ever come to winning an NL West title.

He represented the team at Coors Field in the 2021 Home Run Derby. It’s also where he made a baseball family.

“That was a really good team. I felt like we had so much talent,” Story said of the last Colorado club to reach the postseason. “We had great camaraderie. Guys were showing up early. We wanted to be around each other. It was fun. I would say that that was our best team we had in Colorado, and we all have a lot of teammates from there that are friends for life.”

Story is still close with Blackmon, as well as recent All-Star Ryan McMahon.

“So pumped for him,” Story said of McMahon’s recent Midsummer Classic debut. “He’s been right on the cusp the last few years. He’s earned everything he’s got. He’s worked so hard to be where he’s at. And he seems like the leader of that team. A good friend of mine. So always happy to see him do well.”

Now on the other side of 30 years old, Story has become a leader himself in a Red Sox clubhouse of players still trying to establish themselves.

“Early on, as a player, you’re trying to just survive. To survive and be healthy and play every day,” Story said. “Guys like Chuck (Blackmon) and Nolan (Arenado), CarGo, (Gerardo) Parra, Mark Reynolds and Ian Desmond. Those guys taught me more than they’ll ever know. (I’m) just taking bits of their leadership and things that they did for me and just trying to relay that to some of our young guys. It means a lot to me that they look at me that way. I think it’s kind of part of your duty as a veteran player is to grow the game. Give back.”

One player he’s taken a liking to is Boston center fielder and All-Star Game MVP Jarren Duran.

“He’s just an incredible talent. Incredible young man, and I think he’s coming into his own as a person, as a player,” Story said. “Just fun to watch him and he deserves everything he’s getting right now… He sets the tone for us, and, yeah, he’s my favorite player right now.”

Cora is appreciative of Story’s presence around the team once more, even if the team has now gone 1-5 with him in the dugout following a series loss to the Rockies. The manager is hopeful that his shortstop can make an impact late in the season when the games seem to count double, and he understands there is still a lot of time remaining for the two-time All-Star to one day earn a third selection.

“We’ve been patient, he’s been patient,” he said of Story. “Set his goals up there, way up there. He wants to come back this year, and I applaud him for that. We’re gonna help him to accomplish that. But if it doesn’t happen, he’ll be fine for next year.”