The Boston Red Sox have scratched shortstop Trevor Story from their starting lineup Thursday, MassLive's Christopher Smith was first to report.
According to Smtih, Story is dealing with neck stiffness. The team said the move was made for precautionary reasons.
Story was set to bat third in Boston's lineup in their Grapefruit League showdown against the Atlanta Braves.
David Hamilton will start at shortstop in Story's place, sliding down to the ninth spot in the lineup. Left fielder Masataka Yoshida will bat third after initially being announced in the five hole.
While it does not appear to be a serious injury for Story, the veteran infielder has had trouble staying healthy over the years.
Story did not have that problem with the Colorado Rockies, when he only missed an average of 12 games a year from 2017 to 2021. Story was thriving at the plate and in the field during that stretch, earning Silver Sluggers and All-Star appearances in 2018 and 2019 while placing top-12 in NL MVP voting three years in a row.
Since signing a six-year, $140 million contract with the Red Sox in 2022, however, Story has appeared in just 137 regular season games. Story has hurt his right hand, left heel and right UCL over the last two seasons, leading to several stints on the injured list.
Add a neck injury to that list of Story's ailments since arriving in Boston, although it remains to be seen if it costs the 31-year-old anything beyond one Spring Training exhibition appearance.
More must-reads: