Boston Red Sox Reveal Plans For Both Justin Turner and Trevor Story

The Boston Red Sox are making a change to how they use Justin Turner and gave some new information on the health and recovery of Trevor Story.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora made a few important revelations on Wednesday regarding both Justin Turner and Trevor Story.

First, he announced that Turner will start seeing some time at second base.

More on that from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that Turner could be used at second base in the coming days as the team looks to jumpstart their offense, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

ANALYSIS
Turner has made four appearances at second base this season, but his last start at the position came all the way back in September of 2015. Given that he's now 38, it would be a stretch to think he could handle the position regularly. It seems as if the Red Sox might be willing to give it a try, though, given how little they've gotten from the keystone from an offensive standpoint. 

That could be true, as the team has rotated through several different middle infield options because of injuries. At second and shortstop they've used Enrique Hernandez, Pablo Reyes, Yu Chang, Christian Arroyo and David Hamilton - with none having much success.

This could also be a way to maximize the offense, which is what Cora said to reporters as well. By utilizing Turner at second, Triston Casas could more regularly play first and Adam Duvall/Masataka Yoshida could play designated hitter.

Also, if Turner can play second base, it opens the door for Trevor Story to come in and play DH. As he recovers from internal brace surgery, he'll be ready to hit before playing defense, so having him at DH and Turner at second allows him in the lineup too.

As for Story, Cora said that he should be ready for a rehab assignment after the All-Star break.

Cora says Story will “probably” be ready for a rehab by the time the second-half starts.

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) July 5, 2023

When he does return to the field, it will be his second season with the Red Sox. He hit .238 with 16 home runs and 66 RBIs last year. He played in just 94 games a season ago with unrelated injuries.

The 30-year-old is a two-time All-Star who has received MVP votes in three different seasons. He's a lifetime .268 hitter with 174 home runs. He had played with the Colorado Rockies before signing in Boston.

The Red Sox are 43-43 and will play the Texas Rangers on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. ET.

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