Trevor Story was not in Boston's starting lineup Sunday against Baltimore, with Andruw Monasterio taking over at shortstop in his place. The move came one day after Boston won and then shook up its coaching staff.
Story had entered Sunday with a.532 OPS and a 31.1 percent strikeout rate through 119 plate appearances this season, numbers that help explain why his role had become a point of scrutiny. He had still been in the lineup every day before Sunday, which made the change notable even before the first pitch.
Boston's decision on the coaching staff also gave the day an edge that went beyond the usual lineup shuffle. Story voiced his displeasure with the move, although it is not clear whether that reaction had anything to do with his absence against Baltimore.
For now, the simplest reading is that the Red Sox were willing to alter more than one part of the picture at once: the staff, the lineup and the expectations around Story's place in it.
