New Giant Mayer nears rehab assignment, excited for 'next chapter'

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants have yet to see Trade Deadline acquisition Marcelo Mayer in action since the former top Red Sox prospect remains on the injured list with a bone stress reaction in his left ulna.

But the 23-year-old infielder might not have to wait much longer to get back on the field.

Mayer said he plans to travel to the Giants’ player development complex in Arizona on Sunday to finish ramping up and will likely begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento later this week.

If all goes according to plan, Mayer could debut with his new club by the time the Giants embark on their next road trip, which begins in Cleveland and happens to end with a three-game series at Boston from Aug. 21-23.

“Hopefully, I'm feeling good enough to make that trip,” said Mayer, who was acquired from the Red Sox in exchange for left-hander Erik Miller and outfield prospect Carlos Gutierrez last week. “I'm excited. I have a lot of love for a lot of people over there in that clubhouse. It'll be good to see those guys, and it'll be a fun experience wearing a different jersey over there.”

The No. 4 overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft, Mayer was once viewed as the Red Sox’s shortstop of the future, but he struggled to overcome injuries and underperformance over his two seasons in Boston. He batted .223 with a .624 OPS and seven home runs over 114 games, prompting the Red Sox to surprisingly move on from him at the Deadline.

“This game's a business, and teams are going to do whatever they can to win,” Mayer said. “You can't be really surprised by any move. Our job is to go out there and play hard and do whatever we can to help the team win, whichever team that is. Now I'm a Giant, and I couldn't be more excited for the next chapter.”

Given his youth and Draft pedigree, the Giants are betting that Mayer will benefit from a fresh start, especially now that the Chula Vista, Calif., native will have a chance to play closer to home.

“It's been a smooth transition,” Mayer said. “The guys have welcomed me with open arms. I’m just trying to do whatever I can right now to get back on the field. I'm excited.”

With Casey Schmitt (left knee surgery) and Matt Chapman (abdominal strain) likely out for the season and Luis Arraez now with the Phillies, Mayer should have plenty of opportunities to play second or third base for the Giants once he’s healthy.

“I feel comfortable,” Mayer said. “Wherever they want me to play is where I'm going to play. Just got to go out there, get reps, get comfortable, and just go out there and play hard.”

While he grew up near San Diego, Mayer said he always loved the Giants. As a shortstop with long hair, he was particularly fond of three-time All-Star Brandon Crawford, whom he got a chance to meet before the Giants’ Wall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday.

“I tried not to like fanboy and kind of be a pro about it,” Mayer said. “He was a great guy.”

Mayer is familiar with other members of the Giants organization, as well. He attended the same high school as Schmitt -- Eastlake High School in Chula Vista -- though they missed being teammates there by one season. Still, the two run in similar social circles and have known each other for years.

"He's a good player," Schmitt said. "He's a really good player. I'm really excited to get him out there, get him healthy and get him to go out there and help us win games."

Mayer also played with Rafael Devers for two months in Boston last year before Devers was traded to the Giants in exchange for left-hander Kyle Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks, outfield prospect James Tibbs III and Minor League right-hander Jose Bello.

“Rafi’s a great teammate, and everyone over there loved him,” Mayer said. “We all loved him in the clubhouse, and the people love him here, too. I got pretty close to him in Spring Training. Obviously, I was still a Minor Leaguer at the time, but he welcomed me with open arms. He was there to help me along the way, get comfortable with my first big league camp. I got called up in May, so I got to play with him for like half a year. On the baseball side, he did his thing, obviously. He's just a great person to be around and a great teammate. I’m happy to be with him again.”