Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer is likely done for the remainder of the season, as was first reported by Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.
Mayer, who has not played in a game since July 30 for Double-A Portland, is dealing with a lumbar strain. The 21-year-old shortstop was promoted to Triple-A Worcester alongside fellow top prospects Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel on August 12 but was placed on the injured list last Tuesday.
As noted by Speier, Mayer is no longer with the WooSox and is instead rehabbing at the Red Sox’ Fenway South complex in Fort Myers, Fla. According to Brian Abraham, Boston’s director of player development, Mayer is expected to make a full recovery and can look forward to a normal offseason.
“We just got to a point where he really was plateauing with the improvement, and needed to get a little bit more deeper into what was going on,” Abraham told Speier. “Certainly unfortunate for Marcelo, but I think the good news is we know what the issue is.”
Originally selected by the Red Sox with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Mayer is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 1 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 10 prospect in the sport. The Eastlake High School (Chula Vista, Calif.) product has represented the organization by suiting up for the American League in each of the last two All-Star Futures Games.
In 77 games for Portland this season, the left-handed hitting Mayer batted a stout .307/.370/.480 with 28 doubles, eight home runs, 38 RBIs, 60 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 30 walks, and 66 strikeouts over 335 plate appearances. He made 65 starts at shortstop and one at third base, committing 11 errors in 216 total defensive chances.
Mayer was placed on the Sea Dogs’ injured list on August 1, two days after exiting Portland’s game with what was initially described as lower back and upper glute muscle soreness. The issue was deemed minor and the Red Sox proceeded to elevate Mayer to Worcester “with the expectation that he’d quickly find his way into the lineup,” according to Speier.
Mayer, however, hit a snag of sorts as the soreness in his lower back persisted. He was subsequently sent for an MRI, which led to the diagnosis of a lumbar strain. Rather than act aggressively, the Red Sox elected to send Mayer to extended spring training so that he could focus on his rehab.
“A really strong year from Marcelo. We’re going to take the positives out of it,” said Abraham. “Promoted to Triple-A, an opportunity to make some noise going into next year. We’re expecting a full recovery, so it will be all in the rear-view mirror by the time this offseason rolls around and he prepares for next year.”
If Mayer does not play again in 2024, this will mark the second straight year he has not been able to finish a season, which raises concerns about his durability. He was shut down last August with a left shoulder impingement he suffered while running the bases three months prior.
“I mean, obviously not ideal,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Mayer when speaking with reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) on Monday. “He had a good season, did a good job. But honestly, I didn’t know. I’ll talk to [player development] and see what happens. But getting him right is the most important thing. There’s a lot of potential there. There’s things that we have to work on. [The] injuries, obviously, from my end, [are] concerning, to be honest with you. Just have to make sure we can keep him healthy.”
