Marcelo Mayer is Fenway-bound - hear what he had to say before shipping up to Boston

WORCESTER — It was a pretty emotional day for Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer, who was promoted to the major leagues on Saturday afternoon.

First, there was the disappointment of being in limbo. He thought he was being held out of the lineup for the first game of the WooSox doubleheader for precautionary reasons, as the Red Sox had yet to make a decision on how to replace Alex Bregman on the major-league roster.

That disappointment briefly grew as he was called in WooSox manager Chad Tracy’s office and told he wasn’t going to play in game two of the doubleheader either.

But the next sentence changed Mayer’s life.

“He told me I was going to play game two, just not here,” Mayer said, “and the rush I felt is something I wish everyone could experience.”

The excitement poured out of Tracy’s office as his teammates, suspicious that something was afoot, celebrated the news.

“The door was shut, so I think guys had an idea, and he walked out and I could just hear the entire room go bananas out there,” Tracy said. “I think they knew, and they started to clap, and he gave them a nod, and then they just went ballistic.”

After making the rounds and getting congratulations from all of his teammates, Mayer had to deal with one more emotion – anxiety. Because he had somewhere important to be, and…he couldn’t find his car keys.

Finally Mayer shuttled off for Fenway, getting a ride from a WooSox clubbie, hitting the road in a little blue Kia Forte, waving to WooSox staff and reporters on his way out of the Polar parking lot.

“I’m super excited, it’s been something I’ve been working toward my whole life, ever since I started playing the game,” Mayer said on his way out of Worcester. “To think today is day is pretty surreal.”

Mayer has been one of the best players in the International League this season, feasting on Triple-A pitching. He leaves Worcester tied for first in all of minor league baseball with 43 RBIs.

“He’s had a knack for the big moment, that’s the thing that’s stuck out to me most about him,” Tracy said. “He could be 0-for-7 and then all of sudden the game will find him with the bases loaded and he’s going to find a way to come through and do something big. He likes the lights and he’s a heck of a player, he’s very calm and he’s obviously done more than enough to warrant this happening.”

WooSox 2, Durham Bulls 1

Much like in the second game of the Red Sox doubleheader, the WooSox’ bats didn’t come alive until the final inning, but a two-run bloop single from Nate Eaton was all the offense Worcester needed for a walk-off win for the second day in a row.

WooSox walk-off — Nate Eaton celebrates his walk-off single with teammates Trayce Thompson and Vaughn Grissom after the WooSox beat the Durham Bulls on May 24, 2025.Katie Morrison-O’Day

After the Bulls tagged Isaiah Campbell for their only run in the top of the seventh, Tyler McDonough sparked a rally with a leadoff single. Jhostynxon Garcia continued the very hot start to his Triple-A career, smacking his third single of the day with one out in the seventh, setting the stage for Eaton to deliver a walk-off.

Tyler Uberstine looked sharp in his second start with the WooSox, tossing five scoreless innings and striking out seven while allowing five hits and walking none.

Bulls 7, WooSox 3

The highlight of the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader for the WooSox was undoubtedly Roman Anthony’s seventh home run of the season, a laser that left his bat at 116 mph.

Garcia added two hits to his day, racking up five between the two games. Through five games in Worcester, Garcia is 10-for-21 with 17 total bases and driving in five runs.

Notes

Ryan Noda, who was acquired from the Angels on May 22, made his WooSox debut in game one of the doubleheader and made a few nice plays at first base. Noda got right in the mix during the walk-off celebration after game one, helping Garcia shower Eaton with sunflower seeds during his NESN interview.