Vaughn Grissom was expected to play a significant role for the Boston Red Sox this season following his acquisition from the Atlanta Braves in the Chris Sale trade during the offseason.
However, his season has not unfolded as anticipated due to ongoing hamstring injuries. On Thursday, with his minor league rehab assignment complete, the Red Sox decided to reinstate him and option him to Triple-A Worcester.
Grissom will remain at Triple-A for now, and Red Sox manager Alex Cora explained the reasoning behind this decision regarding the 23-year-old infielder.
Meanwhile, Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story is nearing a return after undergoing what was initially thought to be season-ending shoulder surgery. Story injured his shoulder on April 5 while attempting a diving stop on a ball hit by Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels. He subsequently had arthroscopic surgery on his left posterior labrum performed by Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
Manager Alex Cora mentioned on Friday that Story is scheduled to take live batting practice on Monday at Fenway Park. Cora confirmed this before the Red Sox lost the first game of their three-game series against the Houston Astros, 8-4.
Grissom has played in just 23 games—most of them in May—during his rookie season with the Red Sox, struggling to make a significant impact. He has hit only .148 (12-for-81) with no home runs and three RBIs.
The Red Sox had high hopes for Grissom when they acquired him, recalling his impressive debut with the Braves in 2022, where he hit a home run at Fenway and batted .291 with five home runs, 18 RBIs, and five stolen bases in 41 games.
