Trevor Story Injury: What Is 'Internal Bracing' Surgery, Why Sox SS Unlikely To Be Effective in 2023

Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story underwent an internal bracing surgery to repair damage to his right ulnar collateral ligament and has no timetable for his return in 2023, according to Chief Baseball Officer Chain Bloom.

Bloom asserted on Tuesday that “this being the internal brace procedure and not a Tommy John [surgery], it does leave the door open for a return this season,” and ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that recovery will likely take 4-to-6 months. 

According to the Pro Baseball Docs, the aptly-named internal bracing procedure is still a type of Tommy John surgery and, while the rumored All-Star return is possible, it isn’t guaranteed, and any games that Story plays in the field would be supplemental. 

The relatively new procedure involves inserting collagen-coated suture tape into the ligament attached to screws placed in the surrounding bones, creating what the Docs describe as an artificial ligament.

The surgery can lead to a quicker recovery, but is not as relied upon as the Tommy John tendon graft reconstruction in the long-term, according to the Docs.

While it has proven to be an effective solution in the short-term, the internal bracing repair has not been utilized for long enough to determine long-term efficacy and other potential outcomes, according to a 2021 study published in the Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine. 

The 30-year-old – who was slated to slide from second base to shortstop this season – started feeling pain in his elbow when he began a throwing program in December. 

Story missed two weeks with right elbow soreness in May-June 2021 and his throwing velocity dropped three MPH in 2022, but he didn’t spend time on the IL with the issue. 

The former all-star had a .737 OPS with 16 home runs, 66 RBI, and 2.5 WAR in 94 games in his first season in Boston. The Red Sox went 51-43 when Story played and 27-41 when he didn't.