Red Sox Notes: Mayer, Narváez, Bello
Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer is lobbying for some shortstop time, per Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. Whether or not he gets the chance seemingly depends on how much time Trevor Story is going to miss.
Story has been battling a sports hernia this year and landed on the injured list in recent days. If he undergoes surgery, he’ll miss two months or so, though it’s still not a guarantee that he will go under the knife.
Mayer came up as a shortstop in the minors and also dabbled at second and third base. He has only played the keystone this year and hasn’t even been working out at short, though in the wake of Story’s injury, he plans to start practicing there. He has told manager Chad Tracy that he would like to help the team by moving across the bag. The skipper seems open to it if Story is going to be out a while, though he leans toward keeping Mayer at second if Story is slated for a quicker return.
It’s an understandable position for Tracy. Mayer only played 84 innings at second base in the minors and is still getting accustomed to the position. He is also still young at 23 years old and hasn’t fully clicked as a major league hitter yet, sporting a career line of .223/.278/.359. Mayer was once one of the club’s top prospects and the Sox presumably still hope for him to be a big part of the future, as he is under control for five more seasons after this one. There’s some logic in keeping him with his current plan and not adding a new assignment to his to-do list for just a brief interlude.
Since Story has been sidelined, the Sox have primarily been using Andruw Monasterio at short. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Nick Sogard could also chip in at the position if Mayer is going to be staying at the keystone.
There’s also a situation to watch behind the plate, as Healey notes Carlos Narváez is dealing with an injury to the middle finger on his right hand. Though Narváez says the finger went “a little sideways,” X-rays were negative and he may avoid the injured list. The injury first popped up after a slide and then was aggravated when Narváez hit a ball off the end of his bat.
Most clubs have two catchers on the roster, so it would be a bit risky to proceed with one of them unavailable due to a day-to-day injury. However, the Sox currently have three backstops on the roster, with Mickey Gasper and Connor Wong also present. Gasper has been getting some at-bats as the designated hitter lately and perhaps that would become less likely if Narváez is unavailable. If Boston wants Gasper’s bat in the lineup, they could put him behind the plate while Narváez is hurt, perhaps opening more DH time for Masataka Yoshida.
Turning to the rotation, Chris Cotillo of MassLive suggests that Brayan Bello may get squeezed out of the rotation soon. The righty is having an awful season, with a 7.16 earned run average through 44 innings. The Sox used an opener in front of him for his first two appearances in May, which went well. He only allowed one run in each, going seven innings in the first outing and then 6 1/3 the second time. He got used as a traditional starter again yesterday but allowed seven earned runs in five innings.
Cotillo notes that Garrett Crochet is expected to come off the injured list around the end of this month, which could lead to Bello losing his spot since his rotation mates are faring much better than him. Sonny Gray, Ranger Suárez, Connelly Early and Payton Tolle all have ERAs of 3.21 or lower this year.
Though he signed a multi-year extension with the Sox, Bello does have options and could be sent to the minors if the Sox decide that’s what’s best for him and the team. Pitching from the bullpen could be another possibility, though the club may want to think about the long term. Bello is signed through 2029 with a club option for 2030. Assuming the hope is that he will still be a part of the rotation for years to come, keeping him stretched out may be preferable. On the other hand, he hasn’t been optioned to the minors since April of 2023 and clubs are sometimes reluctant to send guys down after they have seemingly become established as big leaguers.
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KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes Sign Keston Hiura
The Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization announced this week that they’ve signed former big league infielder Keston Hiura for the remainder of the 2026 season (link via Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency). They’ve waived another former big leaguer, outfielder Trenton Brooks, in a corresponding move. Hiura drew interest from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball as well before signing with the Heroes. The GSI client will be guaranteed $400K for the rest of the 2026 season and has another $100K available to him via incentives.
Hiura, 29, was the ninth overall pick by the Brewers back in 2017. He ranked as a top prospect for years and has a huge track record in the upper minors but has struggled with high strikeout rates in the majors. He still sports a .235/.314/.442 line in the majors (101 wRC+), but the vast majority of that production came in a standout rookie showing back in 2019, when he hit .303/.368/.570 with 19 homers (and a 30.7% strikeout rate) in 348 plate appearances. In parts of five seasons since, Hiura has batted .203/.289/.381 while striking out at a 38.3% clip.
Big league struggles notwithstanding, Hiura has repeatedly shown himself to be a force against Triple-A pitching. He’s played parts of six seasons at the top minor league level and laid waste to Triple-A pitching, slashing .291/.392/.563 with 103 round-trippers, 77 doubles and five triples in 1684 plate appearances (392 games). Strikeouts have still been an issue, but not to the same level as in the majors. He’s fanned in 27.8% of his Triple-A plate appearances and drawn walks at a 10.3% clip. Hiura was drafted as a second baseman but has played more first base and left field in recent years.
Brooks, 30, appeared briefly in each of the past two major league seasons, totaling 72 plate appearances between the Padres and Giants. He hit .136/.208/.212 in that tiny sample but is a .279/.382/.472 hitter in his career at Triple-A. He struggled to find his footing in South Korea, going 31-for-143 (.217) without a homer. He’ll wrap up his Heroes tenure with a .217/.286/.259 slash.
Pirates Expected To Promote Jhostynxon García
9:52am: While García is expected to be promoted, Hiles adds in a follow-up report, the Pirates have been considering one other player as well. A decision has not yet been finalized.
8:55am: The Pirates are set to recall outfielder Jhostynxon García from Triple-A Indianapolis, reports Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Bucs are off today, so the move won’t be official until tomorrow’s road date with the division-rival Cardinals in St. Louis. The Pirates already optioned infielder/outfielder Nick Yorke to Indianapolis following yesterday’s game.
García, 23, was acquired from the Red Sox in the offseason trade sending Johan Oviedo to Boston. “The Password” ranked on various top-100 prospect list during the 2025 season but has slipped a bit; he’s still a generally well-regarded outfield prospect who’s bounced back from an awful start to his 2026 season to catch fire.
Despite an eye-popping spring with the Pirates in which he batted .405/.463/.595 in 41 plate appearances, García opened the season in the minors. The Pirates had Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds and Ryan O’Hearn locked into outfield spots and Marcell Ozuna at designated hitter. The Bucs understandably wanted García getting everyday reps rather than sparse playing time on the bench when he’s still in his formative, developmental years. The situation is a bit different now, with O’Hearn hitting the injured list over the weekend and Ozuna having struggled through an awful 39-game stretch to begin his season (.182/.271/.311).
García himself opened the season mired in a 1-for-27 slump through his first 29 trips to the batter’s box. He broke out with a three-hit game on April 5 and hit safely in six of seven games before landing on the minor league injured list due to a back injury. García rehabbed with the Pirates’ Class-A club for a few days in early May, then erupted with a 5-for-5, three-homer outburst in his return to the Triple-A lineup last month. Overall, since that three-hit game in early April, he’s slashed .324/.365/.632. It’s only 68 total plate appearances — a handful of them in A-ball — but it’s clear that García has broken out of that early-season slump.
For the Pirates, the inverse is true. Pittsburgh was swept by their intrastate rivals over the weekend, dropping three straight to Philadelphia by scores of 11-9, 6-0 and 6-0. The Pirates were 16-11 back on April 25 and have gone 8-12 since. They’re still a game over .500, at 24-23, but they’ve five games back of the Cubs for the NL Central lead and 3.5 games out in the NL Wild Card hunt.
García should jump into the mix and get everyday at-bats, likely in right field in place of O’Hearn. Jake Mangum can float between all three outfield spots as needed. If García is hitting well when O’Hearn is ready to return from the injured list, that could put some pressure on Ozuna — at least as long as the rest of the roster is healthy. Reynolds, Cruz and O’Hearn have been key cogs in a Pirates lineup that ranks sixth in the majors in runs scored (229), sixth in batting average (.248), fourth in on-base percentage (.332) and is tied for 13th in slugging percentage (.388). They’re not going to be displaced. O’Hearn can also play first base, but Spencer Horwitz is slashing .273/.383/.414, so he’s not going anywhere either.
García made his major league debut with the Red Sox last year, but he received only nine plate appearances and accrued just nine days of major league service time. There isn’t enough time left on the calendar for him to reach a full year of service in 2026, so he’ll be controllable all the way through 2032 in Pittsburgh. Future optional assignments could change that trajectory, of course. He’s in his second minor league option year and will have one remaining beyond the current season.
The Opener: White Sox, NL West, Pearson
Mariners top prospect Colt Emerson debuted on Sunday night against the Padres. A recurrence of Brendan Donovan‘s groin injury opened up a job for the 20-year-old. He’s expected to have a clear path to everyday playing time moving forward. “This period will give him some runway,” GM Justin Hollander said (h/t Daniel Kramer of MLB.com). “This is not a 15-at-bat or a 20-at-bat tryout to see if he’s capable of taking the job and running it with it for the rest of the year.”
1. White Sox take Crosstown Classic series
With a wild walk-off win on Sunday, the White Sox took two of three games against the Cubs over the weekend. Tristan Peters broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning with a three-run blast, his first career home run. Michael Conforto matched it with a three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning. After holding the Cubs to a run in the 10th inning, Edgar Quero went deep to win it. The most recent victory pushed the club two games over .500 for the first time since 2022 (h/t Bob Nightengale of USA Today). The White Sox are suddenly two games out of first place in the AL Central.
2. NL West showdown in San Diego
The Padres cruised past Emerson’s Mariners last night, sweeping the Vedder Series and moving within a half game of the division-leading Dodgers. The in-state rivals will begin a three-game set on Monday night. Los Angeles recently shook off a four-game losing streak, recovering to secure a split in a series against the Giants before sweeping the Angels over the weekend. The aces will be on the mound for both squads, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto facing off against Michael King.
3. Pearson nearing Astros debut
The Astros inked Nate Pearson to a big-league deal this offseason with the intention of stretching him out as a rotation option. The former Blue Jays top prospect went down with elbow soreness in the spring and opened the year on the injured list. Houston has now nixed the plan to make Pearson a starter. The hard-throwing righty has worked in short stints during his rehab at Triple-A. Pearson is expected to join the team for a series in Minnesota beginning on Monday, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. He’ll look to boost a bullpen that ranks dead last in ERA.
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Mariners Promote Colt Emerson, Place Brendan Donovan On IL
The Mariners are adding top prospect Colt Emerson to the big-league squad, first reported by Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. The 20-year-old shortstop is among the highest-ranked young players in the sport. The team has officially announced the promotion. Brendan Donovan was placed on the 10-day IL with a groin strain as the corresponding move.
The Mariners released an updated lineup for Sunday Night Baseball against the Padres. Emerson is now batting ninth and playing third base instead of Leo Rivas. He’ll be the youngest Mariner to make his debut since 19-year-old Félix Hernández in 2005, according to the team.
Emerson fell short of an MLB gig out of Spring Training, despite a 111 wRC+ in 18 games. The 20-year-old has slashed .255/.347/.469 through 38 games at Triple-A this season. He’s popped seven home runs to go with 10 stolen bases.
Seattle inked Emerson to an eight-year, $95MM extension in late March. The price tag is a record figure for a player who has yet to appear in the majors. MLB Pipeline has Emerson ranked sixth among all prospects. FanGraphs has the infielder just outside the top 10.
The Mariners didn’t give Emerson an opportunity in the majors when shortstop J.P. Crawford was working through a shoulder injury early in the year. It would seem another injury to an infielder has opened the door for the youngster. Donovan had been out of the lineup since Friday. He’s been the club’s everyday third baseman when healthy. Emerson has played mostly shortstop with Tacoma, but he’s made five starts at the hot corner this season.
Donovan has dealt with groin issues since the offseason. He underwent sports hernia surgery before the 2026 campaign got underway. The infielder hit the IL in late April with a groin strain. After just seven games, Donovan is back on the injured list with the same injury. With Emerson taking over at third base, the versatile Donovan will move around to multiple spots when healthy, per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. There’s no timetable for his return, but the club hopes he can get back to full strength in a few weeks, per Divish.
Seattle took Emerson with the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 draft. He moved quickly through the lower levels of the minors. Emerson posted an impressive 129 wRC+ across three levels last year, capped off by a massive .364/.444/.727 line in a brief sample at Triple-A. He hasn’t been as dominant so far this season, particularly in terms of contact. Emerson has a career-high 27.2% strikeout rate over 169 plate appearances in the minors this year. The power and speed have been among the best he’s shown, though. Emerson’s 16 homers and 14 steals in 2025 were both career highs. He would’ve blown past those marks if he had stayed with Tacoma much longer.
Photo courtesy of Arianna Grainey, Imagn Images
Clay Holmes Likely To Avoid Surgery, Could Return In August
The Mets will be missing right-hander Clay Holmes for a significant chunk of the season, but he could return sometime after the All-Star break. The veteran starter fractured his right fibula on Friday against the Yankees. Holmes told reporters, including Chelsea Janes of SNY, that surgery hasn’t been ruled out, but doesn’t appear to be necessary.
Manager Carlos Mendoza was equally optimistic about the outlook for Holmes. “Yes, definitely we’ll see him this season,” Mendoza said, relayed by ESPN. The skipper added that Holmes is expected to need six to eight weeks to heal, plus an additional ramp-up period similar to Spring Training, which would be another month and a half or so. That schedule would get Holmes back into the Mets’ rotation sometime in August.
Holmes was struck by a 111 mph line drive off the bat of outfielder Spencer Jones in the fourth inning of the first game in the Subway Series. He somehow stayed in, wiggling out of a bases-loaded jam later in the frame. Holmes was removed after walking Jazz Chisholm Jr. with one out in the fifth inning.
The Holmes injury was the latest in a laundry list of health concerns for the Mets. The pitching staff is already missing right-hander Kodai Senga and reliever A.J. Minter. On the hitting side, shortstop Francisco Lindor, outfielder Luis Robert Jr., and first baseman Jorge Polanco remain out. Catcher Francisco Alvarez tore the meniscus in his right knee earlier this week.
The Mets dropped the first game against the Yankees, but rallied to win the next two, including a wild walk-off win on Sunday. Outfielder Tyrone Taylor blasted a two-out, three-run home run off closer David Bednar to send the game into extra innings. Rookie Carson Benge finished off the comeback by driving in the game-winning run in the 10th inning. The Mets went 5-1 this week, improving their record to 20-26. It’s been exactly a month since they’ve been this close to .500.
New York hasn’t come up with a Holmes replacement yet. The corresponding move when the righty hit the IL was the promotion of reliever Joey Gerber. Current bullpen pieces Tobias Myers and Sean Manaea are candidates to step into the rotation. Manaea has continued to struggle after spiraling down the stretch in 2025, but Myers has been solid. The club’s competitiveness might determine the long-term solution. If the Mets can move closer to contention, the front office might consider a trade to supplement the rotation while Holmes is recovering. If the team can’t get back into the Wild Card mix, the internal options will have to do.
Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images
Corey Seager To Visit Back Specialist
The Rangers are sending Corey Seager to see the club’s back specialist, per Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports. The shortstop was sidelined for all three games of a weekend series against the Astros. The team is still waiting on the results of an MRI.
Seager hasn’t suited up since Wednesday. He’d appeared in 42 of the Rangers’ 43 games before the back issue popped up. The 32-year-old is scuffling through his worst offensive campaign to date. He’s currently stuck in a 0-for-27 slump. Seager is slashing .179/.286/.353 across 182 plate appearances. His 80 wRC+ is his worst mark as a big leaguer by a significant margin.
It’s unclear how long Seager’s been dealing with the injury. His Statcast metrics certainly haven’t aligned with his lofty standards. Seager has a 45.4% hard-hit rate this year, which is still an above-average mark, but a couple of ticks below his career norm. It’s also well behind his recent work with Texas. Seager has posted a hard-hit rate above 50% in each of the past three campaigns. His barrel rate has remained steady this year, but his average exit velocity has slipped by nearly 2 mph compared to 2025.
Seager is also struggling to make contact like never before. He has a career-high 27.5% strikeout rate. It’s the first time he’s been above 20% since 2017 with the Dodgers. Seager’s 16.2% swinging-strike rate is easily a career worst. His 68.0% contact rate is the 12th-lowest mark among qualified hitters.
Texas signed Seager to a massive 10-year, $325MM deal heading into the 2022 season. He’s been incredibly productive with the club, including a second-place MVP finish in 2023. He also earned World Series MVP honors that year. Seager has a wRC+ of 138 or better in each of the past three campaigns.
Similar to his time in L.A., injuries remain the drawback with Seager. After playing in 151 games in 2022, he’s missed time with thumb, sports hernia, and hamstring issues the past few years. An appendectomy also cost Seager most of September last season. While it’s hard to hold that last one against him, the soft tissue injuries have been prevalent.
Ezequiel Duran has stepped in at shortstop this year with Seager out. The utilityman is off to a solid start at the plate. Duran is slashing .270/.339/.441 with three home runs and four steals. The versatile veteran has spent time at every infield spot except first base, plus both corner outfield positions. Duran has been a decent defender up the middle in his career. He’s posted +5 Outs Above Average across 525 2/3 innings at shortstop. Duran has -2 Defensive Runs Saved at the position, which would still be passable, at least temporarily.
A Seager injury would normally lead to a Sebastian Walcott mention, but the top prospect is set to miss most of the year after undergoing an internal brace procedure on his elbow. Cameron Cauley is a borderline top 10 prospect in the organization. He’s bounced around the diamond this year at Triple-A, with at least seven starts at four different positions, including shortstop. While the glove might be viable, Cauley has scuffled to an 82 wRC+ with Round Rock.
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Twins’ John Brebbia Expected To Trigger Opt-Out Clause
Right-hander John Brebbia is exercising the opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Twins, reports Darren Wolfson of KSTP. Minnesota has until Wednesday to add Brebbia to the big-league club. If the team declines, the veteran reliever will head to free agency. Brebbia joins Triple-A St. Paul teammate Matt Bowman in triggering an opt-out on Sunday.
Brebbia was in camp with the Rockies, but was cut shortly before Opening Day. He latched on with the Twins a couple of days into the regular season. The 35-year-old righty split the 2025 campaign between the Tigers and Braves. He posted an identical 7.71 ERA with both teams. The well-traveled Brebbia has pitched for five MLB squads in his eight-year career.
While Bowman is pitching well with the Saints, Brebbia is off to a difficult start. He’s posted a 6.20 ERA across 20 1/3 innings this season. The reliever has a solid 28.3% strikeout rate, but a double-digit walk rate. Free passes haven’t typically been an issue for Brebbia, though those numbers have ticked up in recent years.
The Twins don’t have any available slots on the 40-man roster, which makes a Brebbia promotion tricky. There’s a chance he lands back with the club on a new minor league deal if Minnesota declines to call him up.
Brebbia posted a few respectable seasons in the Cardinals’ bullpen after debuting in 2017. He then signed with the Giants and delivered more of the same. The veteran tested free agency at the end of 2023. Brebbia earned a decent $5.5MM commitment from the White Sox heading into 2024, but was released in August. He bounced to the Braves, then the Tigers, and finally back to Atlanta to finish up last season.
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Cubs Claim Christian Roa
The Cubs have claimed right-hander Christian Roa, the Orioles announced. Baltimore designated Roa for assignment on Friday after acquiring fellow righty Eduarniel Núñez in a trade with the Athletics.
The 27-year-old Roa is no stranger to the waiver wire. He broke camp with the Astros, but was sent down after the first series of the season. Roa was designated for assignment after a second brief stint with the club in April. It set off a series of transactions that saw him bounce to multiple organizations. Roa was claimed, then DFAed by the Twins and Orioles in the span of a few weeks. He’s now landed in Chicago.
Roa permitted five earned runs over 8 2/3 innings with Houston. He had more walks (7) than strikeouts (6) across seven appearances. Roa’s time as an Astro represents his longest MLB look so far. He tossed three innings for the Marlins in 2025, his only other stretch in the big leagues.
Cincinnati took Roa in the second round of the 2020 draft. The righty put up solid numbers in the minors, but also struggled with walks, especially at the higher levels of the minors. Roa delivered a 31.0% strikeout rate across Double-A and Triple-A in 2023. Those swing-and-miss numbers, particularly for a pitcher who was already 24 years old, could’ve led to a call-up, except they came with an ugly 16.6% walk rate. Roa worked mostly as a reliever for the first time in 2024. He scuffled to a 5.55 ERA with Louisville and was DFAed at the end of the season.
Miami took a shot on Roa off the waiver wire. He was excellent as a full-time reliever with Jacksonville, posting a 2.83 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning in 50 appearances. Roa trimmed the free passes to 11.4%, which was an improvement. He debuted with the Marlins in September. Roa walked three but only permitted one hit. He tested free agency at the end of the year, landing with Houston on a minor league deal.
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Jose Altuve Placed On IL With Oblique Strain
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is headed to the injured list with a Grade 2 oblique strain, the team announced. The veteran infielder homered off Jacob deGrom on Saturday, but was removed from the game in the ninth inning. The injury kept him out of the lineup on Sunday. The club has yet to announce a corresponding move.
The 36-year-old Altuve has been perfectly league average (100 wRC+) through 42 games. He got off to a torrid start, boasting an OPS over 1.000 after a dozen games, but has cooled from there. Altuve’s long ball yesterday snapped a 21-game drought without a home run. He’s slugged just .380 through 185 plate appearances.
Altuve has been remarkably healthy during his 16-year career. The veteran has topped 600 plate appearances in every season since the shortened 2020 campaign, outside of 2023. He fell short that year primarily because of a broken thumb suffered after being hit by a pitch in the World Baseball Classic.
After a foray into the outfield last year, Altuve has slotted back in as the club’s everyday second baseman. He’s continued a downward trend as a defender this year. Altuve has recorded -5 Defensive Runs Saved in 338 1/3 innings at the position. He ranks in the 11th percentile for Outs Above Average.
Houston came into the season with a glut of infielders, but injuries have quickly whittled down the depth. Jeremy Pena has been sidelined since mid-April with a hamstring strain. He fractured a finger in a warm-up game for the WBC but was able to heal up in time to be on the Opening Day roster. The club lost Carlos Correa for the season after he suffered an ankle injury in early May.
Pena embarked on a rehab assignment earlier this week and could be nearing a comeback. The shortstop was in the clubhouse on Sunday and will travel with the team for a series in Minnesota, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. His return will help offset the loss of Altuve in the infield.
Braden Shewmake and Nick Allen have seen time at shortstop with Pena and Correa out. Both could be options at the keystone, along with Shay Whitcomb. Isaac Paredes has played a bit of second base this season, but he’s locked in at the hot corner with Correa gone. Brice Matthews would be a candidate to fill in for Altuve, particularly if Jake Meyers is back with the club.
Meyers is recovering from an oblique injury of his own. He could return on Monday, per McTaggart. Houston has thrown a slew of players in center field with Meyers sidelined. Matthews has earned the most plate appearances at the position, but Taylor Trammell, Joey Loperfido, Daniel Johnson, and Zach Cole have also seen time there. Getting Meyers’ glove back in center field would be a nice upgrade. Sliding Matthews to second base would allow for a longer look at the former first-round pick.
Photo courtesy of Erik Williams, Imagn Images