After a somewhat muted offseason, the Boston Red Sox are entering the 2026 campaign as one of the more confusing teams in the league. On one hand, they were very active on the trade market, but their inability to sign a big-name slugger in free agency has left their lineup with a gaping hole in the middle of the order.
It’s clear that the Red Sox are banking on receiving contributions from their young crop of prospects that are finding their way to the majors. One guy who is part of that crew is Marcelo Mayer, and after his 2025 campaign came to an end early thanks to a season-ending wrist injury, the talented infielder’s status has received a major update now that Spring Training is underway.
Marcelo Mayer Set to Make Spring Training Debut for Red Sox on Friday
Boston selected Mayer with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, and he quickly flew through the team’s farm system after landing with the organization. Throughout his time with the Red Sox, Mayer was consistently one of the team’s top prospects, and he finally found his way to the majors in 2025.
Mayer’s stint with Boston was brief, as he hit just .228 with four home runs and 10 RBIs over a 44-game stretch. Things came to a premature end for him when he suffered his aforementioned season-ending wrist injury, but with Alex Bregman bolting for the Chicago Cubs in free agency, Mayer has found himself with a shot to earn a starting job for the Red Sox right from the get-go.
Of course, that job is going to have to be earned, as manager Alex Cora made it clear nothing is going to be given to Mayer out of Spring Training. The first part of the process for the talented youngster involves getting fully healthy, and after the team decided to take things slow with him to start, it sounds like he’s set to suit up for his first Spring Training game on Friday.
“Marcelo Mayer will appear in his first spring training game for the Red Sox on Friday. He’ll start at second base, manager Alex Cora said,” Christopher Smith of MassLive recently reported.
Red Sox Hoping Marcelo Mayer Can Find His Way in 2026
Boston Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer.
While Mayer is a shortstop by trade, Trevor Story is currently entrenched at that position. The good news is that Mayer has the versatility to play at both second and third base as well, and it seems like he currently has the inside track to earn the starting job at second base, with recent trade acquisition Caleb Durbin appearing to be the leader for the third base job.
There’s no doubt Mayer did well to find his way to the majors at just 22 years old, but his initial performance left something to be desired. Mayer has all the tools to be a perennial All-Star, though, and he figures to have every shot to figure things out with the Red Sox. Whether or not he earns a starting job out of Spring Training remains to be seen, but the door is certainly being left open for Mayer to do so.
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