Trevor Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa begin or continue Worcester rehab assignments as Red Sox inch toward return

The Red Sox took another step toward getting two infielders back on the field, continuing and starting rehab assignments at Triple-A Worcester as the club looks to stabilize depth and in-game options. According to an MLB update from the Red Sox, shortstop Trevor Story continued his rehabilitation assignment Wednesday, while Isiah Kiner-Falefa began a rehab assignment with Worcester in the same game day window.

For Boston, the timing matters. Both players have been sidelined for months due to injury, and rehab games are often where teams gauge whether a player can handle the day-to-day demands of regular baseball again, from workload to on-field movement. The move to Worcester indicates that both players are now in the phase where they can be evaluated in actual game conditions rather than only in training settings.

Story’s assignment is a continuation rather than a first stop. That distinction suggests Boston is already working through the steps of his return plan, progressing him from preliminary work into a schedule that includes game action at the Triple-A level. Because his rehab is ongoing, the Red Sox will be looking for consistency across multiple games, including defensive execution and the ability to repeat swings and sprint routes without setbacks.

Kiner-Falefa’s rehab assignment, by contrast, is described as beginning with Worcester. For a middle-infield player, the first days of a rehab stint can be particularly telling because it sets the baseline for how quickly the body adjusts to the intensity of live at-bats and defensive sequences. Boston will be watching not only for immediate performance, but also for how his timing and range hold up over successive reps as he becomes more integrated into game situations.

The Red Sox’s use of Worcester is also a roster management tool. Rehab assignments allow a club to keep a path to reintegration organized, while maintaining clarity on who can contribute if the return date moves faster or slower than expected. Even with a return looming, teams typically want to avoid rushing a player back before the final checkpoints, especially when injuries have forced a lengthy absence.

What to watch next is whether Boston can coordinate the two returns in a way that makes them additive to the lineup rather than disruptive to it. Rehab assignments can run longer than first anticipated depending on how a player responds, and the Red Sox will likely prioritize any remaining conditioning or performance steps before transitioning a player fully back to the major league roster.