Boston Red Sox
“He has to indicate us that he can deal with this.”
There’s nonetheless over one month till the 2026 MLB common season begins (34 days, to be precise), which implies there’s loads of time for gamers to show themselves in spring coaching forward of Opening Day.
Nonetheless, one Purple Sox athlete particularly obtained a transparent, and public, message from supervisor Alex Cora Friday: you do not need a assured spot on subsequent month’s Opening Day roster.
Marcelo Mayer, who’s within the combine to start out at both second base or third base for Boston, has to earn the beginning job, Cora advised reporters forward of the crew’s first spring coaching sport of the 12 months in opposition to Northeastern College.
When requested what Mayer must do that spring to make the roster, Cora stated the 23-year-old wants to enhance offensively.
“He wasn’t nice offensively final 12 months. He’ll be the primary one to let you know that. Defensively, he was glorious. Base-running-wise, he’s actually good. However offensively, there’s extra,” Cora stated (via MassLive’s Christopher Smith). “We all know that, however he has to indicate us that he can deal with this.”
In 136 plate appearances by means of 44 video games, Mayer batted .228 with a .674 OPS, 4 house runs, and 28 RBI. He struck out 41 occasions, drew eight walks, and didn’t steal a base. Defensively, Mayer dedicated two errors: one at shortstop and one at third.
Mayer could have fairly the chance to lift eyebrows over the subsequent few weeks. He won’t be taking part on this 12 months’s World Baseball Traditional, not like 15 of his organizational teammates, which might give him a greater likelihood at making an influence throughout video games.
However, the one approach Mayer might be with the big-league membership on Opening Day is that if he can keep wholesome, which is one thing he’s struggled to do since being drafted by the Purple Sox No. 4 total in 2021.
Mayer made his MLB debut when he acquired known as up by Boston in Might final season, however his rookie season acquired lower brief when he suffered a wrist damage in late July. The ailment sidelined him for the rest of the 12 months. It was a well-recognized scenario for Mayer, whose 2022-24 minor league seasons have been additionally shortened resulting from numerous upper-body accidents.
With him being absolutely wholesome for spring coaching in 2026, he has the possibility to make his first Opening Day roster and assist shore up a Purple Sox infield protection that’s struggled mightily in recent times.
Since full squad practices started final week, Mayer has primarily practiced at second base whereas newcomer Caleb Durbin has fielded third base. Mayer performed 3B in 39 of his 44 video games final season, however did play some 2B for the primary time in his profession in 2025 at each the minor and main league stage (18 complete appearances). He was drafted and got here up by means of the system primarily as a shortstop.
Nonetheless, Mayer practiced at 3B Friday for the primary time this spring as Durbin underwent an emergency root canal.
Final week, Cora stated he wished to find out the place Mayer and Durbin would play throughout video games this spring quite rapidly, with the hopes of permitting veteran SS Trevor Story to create chemistry along with his double-play associate at 2B. One week in, it doesn’t seem that he’s provide you with a solution but.
Although, provided that Cora needs to see extra from Mayer offensively earlier than giving him a beginning infield function, it could be contradictory to have him at 2B within the occasion that he begins the season in Triple-A.
Regardless, the crew does have a plethora of infielders to select from following the latest acquisitions of Durbin and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. We all know the Purple Sox aren’t afraid to platoon nearly any place on the diamond, so maybe that’s the route Cora takes to start out the season if Mayer doesn’t earn his spot.
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