WORCESTER — It appears that Marcelo Mayer’s quickest route to the majors these days goes through second base.
And that’s fine with Mayer – he’s “all in” on any plan that gets him to the Red Sox.
“I’ve always said it. I’ll play anywhere in the big leagues,” Mayer said on Tuesday at Polar Park. “Whatever it takes to help the team win, whatever it takes to to get me up there, I’m more than willing to do it.”
With Kristian Campbell working on learning first base over the past week, it looks like there’s a path for Mayer if Campbell switches off second base. Mayer has played second base for the WooSox in four of his last five games after previously playing the position five times in his previous 37 games this year.
WooSox manager Chad Tracy said that the plan for now is to play Mayer at second about four times a week with a couple of games at shortstop mixed in.
“His words were ‘I’m very comfy at short,’” Tracy said of Mayer. “I feel like he could come in, you throw him a glove, say you’re playing short, and he’s going to play it well.”
The name of the game right now for Mayer is game exposure. Tracy said there’s only so much one can learn through practice; it’s handling game situations as they come that will get Mayer ready to take on the new position at a higher level.
“He looks fine. It’s really just a matter of [getting him] more game exposure to the different things that happen at a different position,” Tracy said. “Such as double play turns…just different stuff like that, angles at second base when the ball goes to the four hole, you might take a little bit deeper angle on balls over there than you would at shortstop when you have a longer throw.”
Mayer said the transition from short to second is probably the easiest positional switch to make, given that both positions are up the middle, and he relies on his good defensive instincts to adapt.
“I just like a new challenge, a new opportunity of of different plays that you can make,” Mayer said. “I like the double play feed. Obviously, everything’s the other way around, so turning it, flipping it that way, it’s all new and it’s all fresh, so it’s pretty exciting.”
Could Mayer slot in at second base tomorrow in the majors?
“You could probably throw him over there and he’ll be okay,” Tracy said, echoing Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s sentiments about seeing how Campbell develops at first base before making a decision. “In the meantime, if they decide to do something, we do our due diligence to make sure that that Marcelo’s getting game exposure at second base, that he feels comfortable with it. There’s no timetable on on any of that stuff, just get him exposure and see where it takes us.”
Bulls 7, WooSox 4
Durham’s Jamie Westbrook got some revenge on his former team on Wednesday night, hitting a game-tying home run off WooSox closer Luis Guerrero in the top of ninth just after Trayce Thompson put the WooSox ahead with a home run in the bottom of the eighth. Westbrook drove in two runs earlier in the game as well, and made a nice play to rob Nate Eaton of a hit in the 10th.
Carson Williams had the big swing of the night, blasting a three-run home run off Wyatt Olds in the 10th, ruining the WooSox’ bid for a comeback win.
Jhostynxon Garcia had another good night in his second game in Triple A, going 2-for-5 with a double. Tyler McDonough had a pair of doubles, and Mayer and Roman Anthony had a combined five walks atop the Worcester lineup.
On the pitching side, the WooSox patched together nine innings using relievers, with Wyatt Mills getting the start and going two scoreless frames. Alex Hoppe struggled in his second outing in Worcester, giving up two runs on four hits in two innings. Brendan Cellucci worked out of a couple of jams for two scoreless frames.
Durham’s number nine hitter Brock Jones tied the game in the seventh with a solo bomb off of Jose Adames that left the ballpark at 112 mph.
Notes
– A Tuesday in Buffalo isn’t exactly the ideal setting for one’s 21st birthday, but Roman Anthony made the most of his milestone on May 13. Anthony and Mayer hit up a casino and won some money and got a couple drinks after a 10-7 win against the Bisons.
– The WooSox roster looks a little different after two weeks on the road and a few call-ups and injuries. Here is the rundown:
Outfielder/infielder Karson Simas was promoted from Portland on May 6.
Shane Drohan was placed on the injured list on May 13 with left forearm inflammation. Right-handed pitchers Hoppe and Wyatt Olds were promoted from Portland.
Josh Winckowski was placed on the IL retroactive to May 13 with right elbow inflammation.
Cooper Criswell was promoted to Boston for a few days and returned to Worcester before this week’s homestand.
RHP Tyler Uberstine was promoted from Portland on May 15.
There was a flurry of roster moves when the team arrived home on Tuesday: infielder Alex Binelas and outfielder Phillip Sikes were placed on the development list; catcher Seby Zavala and Tyler McDonough were activated from the injured list; Isaac Coffey was reinstated from the dev list and transferred to Portland; and Garcia was promoted from Portland.
– Boston Celtic Luke Kornet and his family were in attendance at the game on Wednesday at Polar Park.
Boston Celtics player Luke Kornet takes in the WooSox game with his family on May 21, 2025 at Polar Park.Katie Morrison-O’Day
What’s Next
Due to the impending weather on Thursday, the WooSox made the decision to postpone and move the game to Friday as part of a single-admission doubleheader that will start at 4:05 p.m.
The WooSox have already had five games cancelled or postponed so far this season; the club-record for most home games either postponed or cancelled is six coming during their abbreviated inaugural 2021 season.
