Marcelo Mayer’s rookie season is over. The youngster has been on the shelf due to a wrist sprain since late July, and now manager Alex Cora has told reporters (including Christopher Smith of MassLive) that the infielder will undergo season-ending surgery on his ailing wrist. The surgery comes with a three-month recovery period, so he’s expected to be ready for Spring Training 2026.
Mayer, 22, entered the season as a consensus top-20 prospect in the sport. Selected fourth-overall by the Red Sox back in 2021, Mayer’s climb up the minor league ladder was stymied by injuries at times but he made both his Triple-A and big league debuts this year in spite of those obstacles. He hit a solid .271/.247/.472 in 43 games with Worcester this year but scuffled a bit in the majors, with a below-average .228/.272/.402 (79 wRC+) slash line and a 30.1% strikeout rate. He posted those numbers while splitting time between second and third base as well as shortstop at the big league level, with most of his work coming at the hot corner while Alex Bregman was on the injured list earlier this year.
Now that Mayer’s own 2025 campaign has come to an abrupt close due to his ailing wrist, it’s safe to say that the youngster didn’t have the rookie campaign he and the Red Sox were surely hoping for. That’s hardly a surprise, of course. While some top talents (such as teammate Roman Anthony) immediately take to the big leagues, it’s become increasingly common for even the very best prospects in the game to struggle mightily early in their careers due to the growing skill gap between Triple-A and the majors. For Mayer, getting some of those growing pains out of the way this year can only be a good thing, and will hopefully leave him better equipped to impact the big league club in 2026.
Fortunately for the Red Sox, they’ve been able to do just fine without Mayer producing at a high level. Bregman (156 wRC+) earned his third career All-Star nod and has been a game changer for Boston’s lineup at third base, while Trevor Story has bounced back from years of injury-marred campaigns to be a roughly average (98 wRC+) everyday shortstop. That’s solidified the left side of the club’s infield, and while the struggles of both Mayer and Kristian Campbell have made second base into a bit of a question mark, super utility man Ceddanne Rafaela has settled in at the keystone admirably amid a decent offensive season of his own (97 wRC+). Fellow youngster Kristian Campbell is also available to help chip in at second base, though he’s struggled after a hot start to the year and is currently getting regular reps at Triple-A.
Looking ahead to next year, the Red Sox figure to have an embarrassment of riches on the positional side of things. Bregman seems increasingly likely to opt out of his contract and return to free agency, but even setting him aside the returns of Mayer and Triston Casas should give the team a full lineup on paper with both Campbell and Rafaela capable of moving between the infield and outfield as needed. Should Bregman stay opt into his deal or wind up getting re-signed or replaced in free agency, the Red Sox figure to have more players than positions to play them at between their solid regulars and unproven young players like Mayer and Campbell. Players like Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida have frequently be the subject of trade rumors over the years due to this impending logjam, and while no deals have come together to this point that figures to remain a storyline surrounding the club headed into the offseason.
Bummer
Horace – I called it a long time ago. Great kid but cannot stay healthy to save his life.
Thank God for Team MVP Story. All the haters got a big dose of karma. LOL!
Story contract 20-25 mill each year from 2022 -2027. He’s been productive for red Sox but hadn’t done anything in 2023 and 2024. Criticism towards was deserved
As – I was VERY critical of the Story contract when it was signed. But I knew he’d have a comeback season this year.
I’m talking about the casuals who wanted him released just a month ago. They ASSumed he would never be healthy and ASSumed he would never come out of a slump.
In fact they are still hoping he will opt out and sign elsewhere, which is dumb. What happens if both Story and Bregman leave? Rafaela plays 2B and …?
Not sure why getting injured is deserving of criticism. It’s not like any player wants to be hurt.
A 101 OPS+ is a comeback season?
Mike – Compared to 2022-2024, yes.
How many shortstops have his offensive numbers including SB’s?
Sox analysts just said he’s getting AL MVP votes.
@ Fever
I’m assuming those vote(s) are coming from Boston beat writers sucking up to the cash cow.
Story’s had a bounceback performance compared to his prior play, and it’s no doubt a big deal in Boston, but he has no business in the MVP discussion.
To this point, Story’s produced 3.1 bWAR/ 2.3 fWAR with a 101 OPS+.
Last season, Daulton Varsho produced 5.0 bWAR/ 3.2 fWAR with a 97 OPS+. Daulton didn’t get a single vote for MVP, nor should he have.
Story’s season this year looks like a poor man’s version of Varsho’s from last year. A roughly league average bat with really good defense (and yes the stolen bases).
His year is great for Boston, but a drop in the bucket of performance across the league.
Fever, I’ve been staring Story is the team MVP for a while. His glove has been spectacular and he’s a heady player who seems to always be in position and make the throw. I wish I was able to make that throw home he made a few weeks back. He worked his butt off to come back (Chris Sale too) and while he obviously wasn’t worth his paycheck in prior years, he’s underpaid in 25.
Stop looking at saber stats. Anyone who has watched the Sox play, know he’s their one through nine MVP.
Canuckle, no he’s not winning the league MVP. This is starting to remind me of 13 and if the Sox surprise and he continues to do what he’s done since June, I think he’ll be happy with WS MVP. I’m not predicting, just stating what is obvious to those that breathe Red Sox 24-7. We never expected the team to be playing this well the middle of August. Cora has historically burnt out the staff by now, players typically are hurt and the minors is usually bare with no reinforcements. Let’s just enjoy today and tomorrow the same thing. If the team produces and we continue to enjoy today, the downfall for tomorrow actually never comes.
FPG
I gotta ask how many times have you agreed with the NESN analysts?? C’mon now… 1st year he is living up to the contract. Terrible news on Mayer. Maybe next year is his 1st healthy like Story this year. We are going to need him next year.
@FPG If Cal Raleigh doesn’t win MVP this season the process is a joke…..Story has had a good year but Raleigh has so far been historic
@Dewey I think the Sox MVP is Alex Bregman, not just for his production but he holds everyone accountable and that’s sorely been missing. Bregman has a tablet and is going through at-bats with guys in the dugout….They need him back
Arias is coming up who is a defensive genius at shortstop if Story does opt out. His bat has been coming around (which does not necessarily mean it will be immediate success at majors level as we have seen with Campbell and Mayer this year (whose results are more common than Anthony’s out of the gate).
With that said, I hope Story stays because he is a supreme athlete that can really play the game when healthy, and if you watched him jump through the ball in the hole in the air to first, you realize he is healthy again and only a handful of guys in the league can even make that play on a line.
I would take whatever those homers tout with a gigantic grain of salt. Story has really stepped up as a leader on & off the field but AL MVP is a bit much.
King, Story plays a more demanding position and brought the youngsters to his home the last two off seasons. They both have delivered on and off the field but given how the middle influed has been a revolving door (2B since Pedie), he is the one who is the MVP.
No one wanted Story released a month ago. Stop making things up.
Cannot stay healthy to save his life? Hmmm… sounds a lot like Trevor Story, who finally was lucky enough to stay healthy this year. So far.
Mayer is 22 in his first MLB season. Get off your high horse, man. If you call out enough things, you’re bound to get something right. What about all the times you’ve been wrong?
Karma for what? Lol. Story may be the team’s MVP (no, Crochet is) but he’s not getting league MVP votes beside from local biased writers which is totally understandable.
It’s not like he was tearing it up on the diamond this year.
He did fine playing out of position and showed he can play in the big leagues IF he can remain on the diamond. That remains his biggest obstacle
That’s a bummer, man
Boston definitely has a bright future. The Yankees window is closing fast if it hasn’t already.
The Yankees will always be contenders and that’s an absolute fact that history proves time and time again.
No worries for the Yankees fan.
Pretenders not contenders.
We are coming into, barring key injuries, what I believe is a golden era of Red Sox baseball. Breslow has begun locking up some key future pieces and locking up Roman Anthony was massive imo. The locking down of their ace Crochet is something that Boston hasn’t had in a while. The young position core is excellent and among the best in baseball, however it’s the pitching that is going to be the difference for Boston in the future. When Breslow was named the head of baseball operations he revamped the entire pitching infrastructure from the bottom up. At the time I felt this was the biggest thing that Breslow had done and very few fans saw it or quite frankly understood how big this was. It’s now two years into his time as the Red Sox HBO and the pitching that is being developed is now hitting the upper minors. We are entering a golden age of pitching development in the minor league system.
If you look up and down the system there are so many arms from Salem to Worcester that are being developed. I have watched this farm for more than a decade closely and I can say without a doubt in the last decade this system is the best for arms and I expect quality arms to be showing starting next season year after year. Soon the rest of the league is going to be calling the Red Sox system Pitching U. It’s a great time to be a Red Sox fan.
Bruin, agree on most. Unfortunately, Breslow and Bloom before him are limited by Henry who doesn’t look for fair value; and allows money to be spent when he perceives it’s the best return. Sometimes the parts together are worth more than individually. This team has chemistry. Also, while Bloom did not develop pitching, give him credit for restoring the minors.
I was saying for years that Bloom was doing a great job building the minors and he did draft pitching in his last two seasons but Breslow’s regime has taken pitching to a new level. Ownership seems to be willing to keep a relatively high payroll close to if not slightly above the lux tax line. With all the pitching coming and all the position players with control for years this team is going to shove for years to come.
Payton Tolle dealt yesterday against the Cubs he looked great. His fastball up in the zone is unhittable and his extension is crazy hitters must feel his pitches are released on top of them. He’s nimble to for a huge dude fields his position very well. He also throws strikes he’s going to be a good one.
Bruin, we have to see some of these kids graduate and become quality big leaguers, BUT I will say you make a very good point – at no point can I remember our top prospects being so full of young arms like it is now and that is exciting. Credit to the work they’ve done on that. It’s translated into real prospect capital like we’ve never had at the position before. If it translates to real success in the bigs, then we are cooking with gas!
Man the injuries for Mayer are really starting to stack up for such a young career, definitely getting concerning.
Patriot – That’s why Red Sox Nation was furious that Teel was included in the Crochet trade instead of Mayer. Dave would have made the RIGHT trade.
Sucks, but as a lot will soon comment here, he is very fragile making him susceptible to lots of trade rumors. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s traded in the off season….Hope the surgery goes well.
Sox – The window has closed for now. Red Sox Nation was livid Teel got traded instead of Mayer.
No we aren’t. The Sox got Crochet for him and got a young, controllable gold gloves caliber catcher in Narvaez. Why would any fan be upset?
Ellis – Sorry but if you don’t realize how much more Teel could help the Red Sox than Meyer, I don’t know what to say.
You’d rather have Mayer/Wong than Teel? Wow.
Yes
Fever, I don’t always believe what is online or spoken. Are you certain the White Sox would have made the deal with Mayer? My gut tells me other components would have changed. A
I think you’re the only one of them who was livid.
He made the majors at 22 years. Pretty impressive for someone who is “very fragile” His career minor league OPS is .826.
He’s next years starter at second base.
He’s not really been hitting but played great defense at third and second this season . On a positive note he will be eligible next season for rookie of the year since he didn’t have enough plate appearances to graduate.
Won’t he have to much time on a Major League roster?
Nope
Maybe thought it was 150 plate appearances but looks like it’s 130 if that is the case he’s 1 over.
130 at bats or 45 games he’s had 127 at bats and 44 games he’s rookie eligible next season.
Bruin – 45 DAYS, not games. He’s been on the active roster from May 24 until he went on the IL.
BTW – It’s crazy the hitting requirement is 130 AB’s instead of PA’S.
Bruin – It’s basically just LHP he struggled against.
Thank God for Story and his 25/25 season with solid defense. Did you see the play he made yesterday?
Karma strikes again.
Raffy was told burn his glove because he is supposedly incapable of playing the field, and then Casas goes down for the season.
Fans scream to release Story because Mayer can take over, and Mayer is done for the season.
Fans and media call Rafaela a MVP candidate, he crashes and burns soon after.
Karma is real.
To all Red Sox fans. Your front office knows what it’s doing, unlike my team. Red Sox in the past, got rid of super star players, Mookie, Devers, etc. Traded for Crochet at the right time. The Yankees unfortunately don’t know how to trade away players. Especially when the right player becomes available. Cashman needs to go. There are so many mistakes year after year. Not trading for Cole for Frazier and Andujar. This past winter, not wanting to include Gil in a Tucker deal. The Yankees refuse to take chances. Trading for Stanton instead of signing Harper. Year after Year mistake after mistake. The Yankees better get Tucker this Off-season or another mistake.
When did the Astros demand for Luis Gil in a Tucker deal? Stop making stuff up. Might as well change your username to mlbbosfan with all the complaining you do about your team.
tough break for the kid. hopefully success and quick recovery.
Some people wrongly assume that the Red Sox had the only choice who they sent to the White Sox. Without K. Teel, maybe the Red Sox don’t get G. Crochet at all?
Let’s not be overly critical of Mayer’s unfortunate injuries. His wrist has been bothersome going back to 2022. Maybe this takes care of it once and for all.
Before jumping all over him and hoping he is traded, let’s not forget he was a top-10 prospect before being called up. He is terrific defensively and his bat will come around.
Anyone “Jumping all over him and hoping he’s traded” Is dumb AF. He’s only 22 years old, he definitely looked like he belonged. Just needs some at bats.
I’m probably the only one who senses the T Story season hopefully playing out like the JD Drew season in WS year… Both Albatrosses of contracts but if TS can come through with big hits in playoffs/ WS All will be forgiven and them some!!!( no record of ever bashing TS even when it got brutal) he single handed won game vs WhiteSox I was at to avoid the sweep!!!👍
That’s kind of how Yankees fans feel about Stanton.
Not gonna replace devers that easily fellas
Speedy recovery, kid.