Mayer entered Thursday's game as a pinch hitter and went 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored in a 3-0 win over Cincinnati. He finished the game at second base.
Mayer was held out of the starting lineup against a lefty but got his chance after Reds starter Andrew Abbott was removed. Pinch hitting for Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Mayer led off the seventh inning with a double and scored the game's first run. He later led off the ninth with a single that triggered a two-run frame. Red Sox manager Alex Cora plans a three-player platoon at second base with Mayer against righties, while Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio handle southpaws. Mayer should get his first start Saturday against Reds' right-hander Brady Singer.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Sitting versus lefty
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Mayer is out of the lineup for Thursday's Opening Day matchup with the Reds, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.
Manager Alex Cora indicated earlier this week that Mayer would begin the season in a platoon at second base, so it's no surprise he's on the bench in favor of Isiah Kiner-Falefa with lefty Andrew Abbott on the mound for Cincinnati. Mayer had a .674 OPS over 44 regular-season games in his first taste of the majors last year and batted just .154 versus southpaws.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Will platoon early in season
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Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that Mayer will be part of a platoon at second base early in the regular season, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Cora indicated that Mayer will sit against left-handers with either Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Andruw Monasterio sliding in at second base against righties. Back in February, before spring training started, Cora envisioned Mayer playing against all starters, but it appears that won't be the case to start the season. Mayer was just 4-for-26 (.154) in the majors and had a .630 OPS in the minors against southpaws last year.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Should return Tuesday
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Mayer (knee) is expected to rejoin Boston's Grapefruit League lineup Tuesday against Atlanta, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
The 22-year-old was scratched from Sunday's spring lineup due to left knee soreness and will rest again Monday, but the injury doesn't appear to be a serious concern. After posting a .674 OPS in 44 regular-season games as a rookie last season, Mayer's .816 OPS through 27 plate appearances in spring training put him in strong position to win the starting job at second base to begin 2026.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Lifted from lineup with sore knee
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Mayer was scratched from the lineup for Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins due to left knee soreness, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
The Red Sox haven't provided further details regarding the severity of the issue, but Mayer will presumably need at least a couple days off to recover from the injury. He's enjoyed a strong spring with an .816 OPS and 5:6 BB:K in 27 plate appearances, which appears to have given him the inside track for the Red Sox's everyday second base job.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Reaches base four times
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Mayer started at second base and went 2-for-2 with two walks, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's spring game against Tampa Bay.
Mayer followed up one of his worst games of the Grapefruit League on Thursday (0-for-4, two strikeouts) with his best Friday. Red Sox manager Alex Cora has made it clear that Mayer is not guaranteed a spot on the 26-man roster yet, but the expectation is that he'll open the season with Boston on March 26 in Cincinnati, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. If Mayer is on the Opening Day roster, then he'll likely be the primary starter at second base.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Not guaranteed to make roster
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Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Sunday that Mayer is "doing a good job" but wouldn't guarantee the young infielder will make the Opening Day roster, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reports.
The 23-year-old is batting just .200 through four spring training games, though one of his two hits was a home run. Mayer struggled to a .228/.272/.402 slash line in 44 regular-season games as he received his first taste of the majors in 2025, and the offseason acquisitions of Caleb Durbin and Isiah Kiner-Falefa have resulted in a more crowded infield. If Mayer doesn't win a starting job, the Red Sox could prioritize getting him everyday opportunities in the minor leagues rather than keeping him in the majors as a bench option.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Debut worth wait
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Mayer started at second base and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's spring game against Atlanta.
Mayer's Grapefruit League debut was worth the wait. In his second at-bat, the lefty-hitting infielder turned on a changeup from Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias for a solo home run to right field. While he defended second base Friday, the 23-year-old is expected to see time at third base, too, as he and Caleb Durbin will toggle between the two positions.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Should be healthy for spring
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Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Monday that Mayer's recovery from right wrist surgery had progressed to the point that he could have been available had the team made a deep postseason run, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.
That suggests Mayer -- who underwent a right wrist arthroscopy in August -- should be fully recovered well ahead of spring training. As things currently stand, Mayer could open the 2026 season as the starter at either second or third base, though much will depend on what additions the Red Sox make to their roster.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Surgery deemed successful
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The Red Sox announced that Mayer underwent a successful right wrist arthroscopy Wednesday, Lauren Campbell of MassLive.com reports.
After initially spraining his wrist in late July, Mayer had hoped that a cortisone shot plus extended rest and recovery time would be enough for him to heal up from the injury and return to action before the end of the season, but surgery was ultimately deemed necessary. Mayer has now sustained season-ending injuries in each of the last three years, as his 2023 campaign was cut short by a shoulder injury, and his 2024 season ended prematurely due to lumbar strain. The 22-year-old -- who previously suffered the same wrist injury in 2022 but avoided surgery -- will face a three-month recovery timeline from his procedure, putting him on track to be back to full health ahead of spring training. Mayer will likely need a strong camp to solidify himself as an everyday player for the Red Sox heading into 2026, after he produced a .228/.272/.402 slash line with a 30.1 percent strikeout rate over 136 plate appearances with Boston prior to being shut down with the sprained wrist.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Requires season-ending surgery
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Mayer will require season-ending surgery on his sprained right wrist, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.
Shortly after being placed on the 10-day injured list July 25, Mayer received an anti-inflammatory shot, but the rookie's wrist didn't respond as well as the Red Sox had hoped. The 22-year-old has opted for a permanent fix for the injury and is expected to face a three-month recovery, per Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald. Mayer should be back to full health ahead of spring training, when he'll likely have to compete for a starting role after slashing just .228/.272/.402 with four home runs over his first 44 big-league games.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: 2025 return uncertain
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Manager Alex Cora said Friday that Mayer (wrist) has begun taking dry swings, but it's unclear if he will return this season, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.
Mayer's recovery from right wrist soreness has been slow, even after undergoing an anti-inflammatory injection at the start of August. The 22-year-old began playing catch this week and has now begun swinging a bat. While it didn't initially seem like the injury would threaten to sideline Mayer for the rest of 2025, Cora was non-committal when asked about the rookie's return this season.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Still not ready for activities
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Mayer has yet to resume baseball activities since landing on the injured list July 25 due to a sprained right wrist, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Mayer received an anti-inflammatory injection Aug. 2, but he's taken longer to bounce back from the sprained wrist than anticipated. The Red Sox's plan was to see how he felt after three days and have him begin baseball activities if the injection had the desired effect, but he's taking part in only individual workouts as of Saturday. Surgery is viewed as an option, but Mayer is still attempting to return this season.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Receives injection
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Mayer received an injection in his right wrist Saturday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Mayer will be shut down from all activities for three days following his injection. Once they see how the 22-year-old responds to his treatment, the Red Sox will begin to plan out his next steps, which will likely involve him heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment at some point.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Lack of clarity on injury
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The Red Sox are still collecting information about the nature of Mayer's wrist injury, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.
Mayer was placed on the injured list Friday due to a wrist sprain after undergoing an MRI. The results of that imaging are apparently unclear, leaving Mayer with a murky timeline to return despite being first eligible for activation August 4.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Exits with wrist injury
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Mayer was removed from Wednesday's game against the Phillies due to right wrist discomfort, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Mayer went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored before his wrist forced him out of the game in the fifth inning. The severity of his injury is unclear, but a day off for the Red Sox on Thursday will give him extra time to recover and possibly allow him to be ready for Friday's series opener against the Dodgers.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Contributes to win
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Mayer went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Friday's 5-4 win over the Rays.
Mayer had a run-scoring double for the second straight game, both of which helped the Red Sox come back after the Rays had taken a lead. He's set to become the primary second baseman after the team activated third baseman Alex Bregman from the injured list Friday. Mayer, who is batting .225 through 38 games, has hit safely in three straight games, going 4-for-11 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Set to be primary second baseman
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Manager Alex Cora said Friday that Mayer will get the majority of the playing time at second base moving forward, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.
The 22-year-old's roster spot appeared in question with Alex Bregman (quadriceps) returning from the injured list Friday, but the Red Sox will keep Mayer in the majors and shift him to the middle infield. The rookie has seen most of his playing time thus far at the hot corner, but he has yet to get on track at the plate with a .234/.272/.421 slash line and 29.8 percent strikeout rate through 37 games. Mayer is starting at the keystone and batting seventh Friday versus the Rays.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Sitting out third straight
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Mayer is again absent from the lineup for Monday's contest against the Rockies.
The Red Sox are facing a lefty (Austin Gomber) for the third straight day. The lefty-swinging Mayer has been out of the lineup for all three contests, though he did receive two plate appearances off the bench in Sunday's win over the Nationals. Mayer is 4-for-22 with a 7:0 K:BB early on versus southpaws at the big-league level. Nate Eaton is again at third base Monday.
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Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: On bench against lefty again
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Mayer is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals.
Mayer will stay on the bench for the second game in a row while the Nationals send another southpaw to the mound in Shinnosuke Ogasawara. Nate Eaton will replace Mayer at third base and bat leadoff.
