Elbow inflammation sends Story to IL

May 29th, 2021

The Rockies placed star shortstop on the 10-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation prior to Saturday's doubleheader against the Pirates at PNC Park. The move is retroactive to Friday. Infielder Matt Adams was reinstated from the 10-day injured list to replace Story on the active roster.

Story came out of the second game of a doubleheader against the Mets in New York on Thursday with tightness in the elbow and was not in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener with Pittsburgh, which was rained out. The two-time All-Star has struggled at the plate so far this season, hitting .255/.322/.424 with five home runs. He was 2-for-12 in the Mets series before exiting Thursday's nightcap in the fourth inning.

Manager Bud Black said the elbow pain Story is experiencing first began on a play up the middle in that game, when Story grabbed a ground ball headed for center field, spun and threw to first base. But Black emphasized that the IL move was a pragmatic one, saying that Story felt better but would be out of action for about 10 days anyway as he undergoes testing and tests out the arm in the week to come.

"Trev and I and [head trainer] Keith [Dugger] spoke this morning, and we decided the best thing for Trev was to go on the injured list," Black said. "There's still some residual soreness and general tightness around the joint of the elbow. He wasn't gonna play today, probably wasn't gonna play tomorrow, and then the off-day. And then the three of us also thought there's gonna be a couple days to test this, to go out in Denver and throw and hit at some level of intensity as opposed to just picking up and playing."

Though it remains unclear just how severe the injury is -- and how long Story will be sidelined -- it does put a wrinkle into the 28-year-old's perceived trade value as we get closer to July's Trade Deadline. Story is scheduled to become a free agent after the seasons ends, and the Rockies are not currently in contention in the National League West.