The Boston Red Sox finally called up No. 2 prospect Marcelo Mayer on Saturday following Alex Bregman's move to the IL with a quad injury. The All-Star third baseman is scheduled for an MRI in the coming days.
He sustained the injury rounding first base in the fifth inning of Friday's blowout win over Baltimore.
With Rafael Devers committed to the DH spot, Boston will presumably slot Mayer in at third base. He's a natural shortstop, but Mayer has the athleticism and arm strength to man the hot corner. It's a prime opportunity for Boston to test the waters with one of its most promising young talents, even if Bregman's absence is a huge downer.
That said, it will be hard to send Mayer back down to Triple-A if he lives up to expectations. This call-up was always a matter of time, even before Bregman's unfortunate quad strain. If Mayer performs, there's a good chance to knocks a different Red Sox vet out of the lineup: Trevor Story.
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Marcelo Mayer could force Trevor Story out of the lineup after first MLB call-up
Mayer has not so surprisingly raked for Triple-A Worcester this season, notching .271/.347/.471 splits with nine home runs and 43 RBI in 43 games. Boston's lineup is chock full of lefty sluggers, but Mayer brings a new element of pop to the big-league roster at 22 years old. The No. 8 prospect at MLB Pipeline, Mayer has been on a collision course with the Red Sox roster since spring training. It sucks that it took a Bregman injury to get here, but Boston can't mess around with Minor League assignments for too much longer.
Even if Bregman is back relatively soon, the Red Sox will probably hope for a path to emerge for Mayer to start on a full-time basis. Fellow top prospect Kristian Campbell is currently holding down the fort at second base, but shortstop is Mayer's preferred position. It just so happens that Boston's current shortstop is in the middle of a prolonged slump.
Story, 32, has been on the decline for a while. Through 49 games with the Red Sox this season, he's slashing .227/.272/.335 with six home runs and 21 RBI. That's a troubling .607 OPS for the veteran, a former two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger.
While Story offers bankable defense and a certain veteran poise in the locker room, his presence in the lineup is becoming untenable. Boston has its share of struggles at the plate. The offense has largely underwhelmed aside from Bregman, who's now hurt, and Rafael Devers. The Red Sox entered Saturday at .500 on the season and five games behind New York in the division. This team needs a shot in the arm, which Mayer can — and probably will — provide.
Based on all the evidence, it's hard to imagine Mayer not clearing Story's production right away. It's never a sure thing when a 22-year-old hits the Major League stage for the first time, but Mayer is a special talent and he has been mashing since the spring. While Boston's No. 1 prospect, Roman Anthony, is still waiting for an opportunity in the outfield, the door has swung wide open for Mayer. Boston has benefitted immensely from Campbell's early-season output at second base and in the outfield, wherever he's called upon. The hope is that Mayer can provide a similar jolt with Bregman out, then translate that into a full-time MLB gig.