NORTH PORT, Fla. — It’s been seven months since Marcelo Mayer suffered what turned out to be a season-ending wrist sprain final July in Philadelphia, however Friday’s return proved greater than definitely worth the wait.
Mayer hit a house run off Atlanta Braves nearer Raisel Iglesias in his spring debut, a 381-foot bomb to proper discipline in what was an in any other case forgettable 15-8 Purple Sox loss.
“I positively felt like myself once more,” Mayer mentioned. “I believe within the offseason while you don’t play you type of lose a part of your self as a result of that is what we do. So yeah, it was a great second.”
Mayer went 1 for 3 with the homer whereas getting the beginning at second base, the primary in what is predicted be an prolonged tryout on the place whereas the membership determines the place he and newcomer Caleb Durbin will stick.
Supervisor Alex Cora mentioned postgame that he was pleased with what he noticed from the second-year infielder.
“The child can hit, we all know that, truly I favored the final at bat though he struck out, he laid off some pitches and he received a breaking ball that he swung and missed,” Cora mentioned. “Nevertheless it was a great day, a very good day.”
Tough day for Bello
Brayan Bello’s second begin of the spring didn’t go properly. The best-hander was charged with 5 runs over two-plus innings, permitting 4 hits and a stroll with one strikeout. Within the first inning he allowed a sacrifice fly to Jurickson Profar on the play the place Roman Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela collided in left field, and within the second he gave up a solo house run to Andover’s Mike Yastrzemski. However he didn’t document an out within the third, permitting three straight singles earlier than being pulled after 42 pitches.
All three runners got here round to attain, and the Braves stored on pounding away on the minor leaguers who got here in to scrub up the inning, with Ronald Acuña Jr. punctuating the 11-run third with a grand slam.
Duran takes Sale deep
Jarren Duran struggled in opposition to lefties at occasions final season, however he got here up enormous in opposition to probably the greatest within the recreation, hitting a 409-foot bomb within the first inning off former teammate Chris Sale. Nathan Hickey, Tyler McDonough, Rafaela and Mayer additionally homered within the recreation, and outfielder Braiden Ward went 2 for 3.
Developing subsequent
Sonny Grey will make his first begin in a Purple Sox uniform on Saturday in opposition to the Minnesota Twins, and Garrett Whitlock, Connelly Early, T.J. Sikkema, Vinny Nittoli and Jacob Webb are all slated to pitch as properly. First pitch is 1:05 p.m.
