Sean McAdam: Red Sox shouldn’t rush Trevor Story, Roman Anthony back from rehab stints

BOSTON — Maybe it was just his own natural enthusiasm speaking, but shortstop Trevor Story, when asked about a timetable to return from a rehab stint that was exactly one game old, said returning for the start of the team’s weekend series Friday was a “possibility.’

For the sake of everyone involved, let’s hope not.

That’s no slight at Story, among the most accountable and conscientious players the Red Sox have had in years.

But after being out since mid-May, it’s frankly ludicrous that Story would be ready to hit big league pitching after a rehab assignment that lasted, at most, four games in the minors.

Players are naturally eager to return to play as soon as possible. That goes double for Story, who, through no fault of his own, has had lengthy stays on the Injured List in four of his first five seasons with the Red Sox.

Story has watched the team surge while he’s been sidelined, and understandably, wants to be part of the fun. Some of that is informed by the fact that he’s only played more than 100 games once in his tenure here. Or because he’ll be 34 later this fall and he recognizes that his career won’t last forever.

His desire to get back as quickly as possible is admirable. But it shouldn’t mean the Red Sox should feel the same.

They need only remember the case of Romy Gonzalez when they make their call.

Gonzalez missed all of spring training with a shoulder injury and underwent surgery in March. In other words, he hadn’t hadn’t been involved in any real competition since the Wild Card round last fall.

And yet, after only 18 at-bats in Portland and Worcester, the Red Sox brought Gonzalez back to the big league club. At the time, they were desperate for a righthanded bat to jumpstart their offense.

But it soon became clear that Gonzalez was nowhere near ready to hit major league pitching. His timing at the plate was almost non-existent — as reflected in the .185/.264/.308 slash line he compiled in 19 games. He was soon after optioned back to Worcester.

More recently, the same situation played out with Adley Rutschman, who sped through a brief rehab in Worcester and until he delivered a run-scoring double Monday, found himself in the throes of an 0-for-18 funk at the plate.

Both these cases should serve as a cautionary tale for the Sox, since Story almost certainly needs more than a handful of games to re-acclimate himself to the pace and speed of major league games.

“It’s where we’re at (with) the medical staff,” said interim manager Chad Tracy, explaining the process of deciding when a player is ready to return, “it’s where we’re at as far as at-bats and the number of reps, how long they’ve been on their feet...And then it’s has the player been through this before. It’s really broad. It’s a lot of those (factors) that you kind of put your heads together and figure out if you’re comfortable being quicker or spending a few more days.”

Whatever the process, the Red Sox would be advised to get it right — not just with Story, but also with Isiah Kiner-Falefa (who begins his rehab Wednesday in Toronto) and Roman Anthony (who started his Tuesday in Portland).

No case is exactly the same, and no experience is entirely similar. Players heal at their own pace and there are few absolutes.

Story could serve as a valuable piece for the Red Sox’ stretch run. Though his first seven weeks were uneven, in retrospect, his play was no doubt compromised by his sports hernia. Healthy again, Story would represent a defensive upgrade over Andruw Monasterio, who, for all his heroics with the bat, has been erratic at the position of late.

But the Red Sox should get the best version of Story, not the soonest. And, it should go without saying, the same goes for Anthony and Kiner-Falefa.

Like Story, Anthony hasn’t faced live pitching since May. Also, like Story, Anthony wasn’t exactly hitting the cover off the ball before being injured. Some additional time to find his swing would be a good thing.

While the Red Sox remain in the midst of a wild card race, they’re no longer desperate. The current roster was good enough to drive the team’s improbable mid-season turnaround; surely, it’s good enough to sustain the Sox until the start of September.

Story, Kiner-Falefa and Anthony will still have a month remaining in the regular season if they wait until Sept. 1 — or thereabouts - to contribute. Recent history teaches us trying to take shortcuts isn’t the best approach.

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