Marcelo Mayer will join the Boston Red Sox Saturday.
The team’s top shortstop prospect was seen receiving congratulations in the Worcester Red Sox clubhouse ahead of the team’s first game of a doubleheader.
MassLive Red Sox reporter Chris Smith confirmed with an industry source that Mayer is about to head to Fenway Park for Game 2 of Boston’s doubleheader against the Orioles on Saturday. Game 1 is underway. Game 2 is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Baseball America ranks Mayer No. 8 on its Top 100 list. The site ranks him Boston’s No. 2 prospect behind Roman Anthony.
The Red Sox selected the left-handed hitter fourth overall in 2021. He was Boston’s highest draft selection since 1967 when they picked Mike Garman third overall. The 22-year-old is batting .271 with a .347 on-base percentage, .471 slugging percentage, .818 OPS, nine homers, five doubles, one triple, 43 RBIs, 31 runs, 20 walks and 38 strikeouts in 43 games (193 plate appearances) for Worcester this season.
Mayer was not in the starting lineup for the game as a “precautionary” move, according to WooSox manager Chad Tracy.
The move came just a few hours after Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that third baseman Alex Bregman’s right quad injury was worse than Bregman originally thought.
Cora was asked Saturday morning if Bregman was likely to be placed on the injured list. He said that he didn’t “want to jump into conclusions, but yes.”
Cora was also asked if Mayer was part of the conversation to come up and replace Bregman. Mayer has started six games at third base in the minors, including four games this year.
“There’s a lot of guys in the conversation,” Cora said. “Roster construction comes into play. Guys in the minor leagues, how they fit the roster and all that stuff.”
