Trevor Story is on his way back to Boston and will most likely be activated from the injured list on Saturday, manager Alex Cora announced Friday afternoon.

“If he makes it tomorrow here without falling down or doing something, there’s a good chance he’s going to play shortstop for us tomorrow,” Cora said.

Story’s return caps off an improbable recovery from what was initially expected to be a season-ending shoulder injury. The two-time All-Star fractured his glenoid rim while making a diving stop during Boston’s April 5 game against the Los Angeles Angels, but after months of rehab he turned the corner in his recovery and has since been pushing to make it back before the end of the season.

For the Red Sox, it’s not a moment too soon.

Boston’s offensive production has completely dried up over the past couple of weeks, and Cora said he’s hopeful Story can give the team the boost it needs to make one last push back into playoff contention.

“Hopefully it happens that he carries the offense, but he’s just going to be part of the offense,” Cora said. “He feels good about it, just talking to the people in Triple-A, he drove the ball to the gaps yesterday, so we’ll see.”

Cora added that they expect Story will play shortstop just about every day once he returns, and in order to accommodate him the club plans to shift Ceddanne Rafaela over to second base.

Rafaela has only played 10 games at second base in his MLB career, but he’s proven one of the most versatile defenders in baseball at both shortstop and center field. Cora said the club raised the possibility that Rafaela could play second about a week ago, and that they have no concerns over his ability to adjust.

“He’ll go to second and make plays and get used to it, but we’re not worried about it,” Cora said. “It’s just something else on his resume and we expect him to be a good defensive second baseman.”

With only 21 games remaining from Saturday through the end of September, Story’s activation is essentially a break glass in case of emergency move. Cora acknowledged how important each game is and how the Red Sox have to start making up ground quickly, and he hopes Story will provide a big enough lift to give the club a fighting chance.

But even if the quick trigger was motivated by a desire to win, Cora also noted how exciting it is to see all of Story’s hard work pay off.

“From the personal side just for him to be out there is huge,” Cora said. “He put in the work, he hasn’t hesitated, he had a goal and it’s going to happen, and I’m very happy for him.”