The Red Sox beat the Marlins in Miami on Monday night, and the win came with a roster decision hanging over it. Boston still has to clear three spots for returning players, and Trevor Story could be back as soon as Wednesday.
That made the game more than a late result. Mickey Gasper tied it with an RBI double in the fifth, Anthony Seigler put Boston in front with an RBI triple in the ninth, and Nick Sogard added an RBI single to make it 4-2. The comeback gave the club a win while it kept sorting out who stays when the regulars return.
That conversation has been building for a week. Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa began rehab assignments with Triple-A Worcester last week, while Roman Anthony started his rehab with Double-A Portland and is set to continue with Worcester this week. The Red Sox decided Monday that Story and Kiner-Falefa will remain with Worcester for at least one more game on Tuesday, which keeps the timetable tight and the roster math unavoidable.
Nick Sogard is the name that makes the move hardest to sort out. He has started 11 of the past 12 games at second base, and since he was recalled in late July he has hit.293 with an.846 OPS in 24 games. Chad Tracy also said he wants Sogard’s bat in the lineup every day, which makes optioning him less likely even as Boston needs room for Story, Kiner-Falefa and Roman Anthony.
That is where the rest of the replacement group enters the picture. Anthony Seigler has hit.254 with a.740 OPS in 45 games, though Monday was his first start in eight days. Andruw Monasterio has been with the club since Opening Day, has started 29 of the last 31 games at shortstop, and has hit.254 with a.727 OPS in 90 games. The Red Sox have leaned on all four while Trevor Story missed more than three months with a sports hernia injury and the injuries to Story, Kiner-Falefa and Roman Anthony stacked up in the span of six weeks in May and June.
Boston’s next move is mostly about timing, not uncertainty. Story is close enough that he could join the team in Miami on Wednesday, and the club must open three roster spots within the next week or so to make that happen. Monday night’s win bought the Red Sox another result, but not any more room.
