As if losing Xander Bogaerts was enough of a gut-punch to Red Sox fans, here comes some insult to injury.

The Red Sox announced Tuesday that infielder Trevor Story has undergone successful surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. The surgery was described as an “internal bracing procedure.” ESPN’s Jeff Passan later said that it’s essentially “modified Tommy John surgery with a quicker return date.”

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  BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 14: Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox gets a hit against the Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park on June 14, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

• Unfortunately, that shorter return time is still about 4-6 months, according to Passan. So, the Red Sox now need to replace both middle infield spots from what they had in 2022.

  According to Bob Nightengale, Story was “quite aware that he would need elbow surgery in the off-season,” but “was hoping that he could avoid it with rest.” So, he was wrong. And if the team went along with that, they were wrong.

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  BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 3: Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox follows through on his RBI double against the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning at Fenway Park on September 3, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

• Story batted .238 with 16 home runs and a .737 OPS in 94 games for the 2022 Red Sox. He missed extended time with a hairline fracture in his wrist and a hand contusion.

  He also played second base throughout the season, with the promise of shifting to shortstop at some point. Bogaerts was a roadblock to that, but now that he’s with the Padres, the spot was Story’s. Now, the Red Sox have nothing.

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  ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 06: Xander Bogaerts #2 and Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox react after the third out against the Los Angeles Angels in the seventh inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 06, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

• Hopefully, Story’s return is on the shorter side and he can come back in May. But even with him fully healthy and ready Opening Day, the Red Sox didn’t look like a team that had done enough to return to legitimate contention in the American League, anyway.

  Now, any joy that came with the extension of Rafael Devers is almost entirely gone now. Leave it to John Henry and the Red Sox.

• Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.

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