Red Sox News & Links: Trevor Story Rounds Into Form

Well, so much for the Joely Rodriguez experience. Along with Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, and Richard Bleier, Rodriguez was one of four free agent relievers the Red Sox brought in this year to stabilize the bullpen. Martin has been outstanding and Jansen has been perfectly fine, but Bleier was recently waived and now it looks like Rodriguez is not going to make it back from his hip injury. Since he was only on a one year deal, this could be the last we see of him. (Julian McWilliams, Boston Globe)

Despite the struggles of Bleier and Rodriguez, the bullpen has not been a problem area for the Red Sox this year. It got an even bigger boost this weekend with the return of Garrett Whitlock. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)

The lineup and defense could be in line for a big boost, too, thanks to the return of Trevor Story. The shortstop had his best performance of his brief season yesterday, impacting the game in myriad ways. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

Of course, it’s easier to have a strong permanence if the team is intimately familiar with the opposing pitcher, as was the case when Eduardo Rodriguez returned to the Fenway mound yesterday. (Adam London, NESN)

Speaking of shortstops with injured arms, Marcelo Mayer has been on the minor league injured list since the beginning of August with left shoulder inflammation. But after rest and treatment, he’s ramping up baseball activities and could return to the field within the next two weeks. (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)