BOSTON -- Now that it is clear that veteran shortstop Trevor Story is going to be down for possibly multiple months following the news that he underwent sports hernia surgery on Thursday, the wheels are in motion for Marcelo Mayer to move back to his natural position of shortstop.
When the Red Sox selected Mayer with the fourth pick in the 2021 Draft, he was dubbed the team’s “shortstop of the future” for years.
Due to Story’s presence on the club, Mayer broke into the Majors playing mostly third and second last season, and has been used exclusively at second base this season.
But that is about to change.
After Story was diagnosed with the sports hernia last weekend, the Red Sox spent the three-game series in Kansas City earlier this week getting Mayer early work at short. That process will continue for part of this weekend, but with an eye on Mayer perhaps making his first MLB start at short in Sunday’s finale of this three-game series against the Twins.
“We started proactively getting Marcelo some work there this past week in Kansas City, so tentatively planning right now [on] maybe getting him out there Sunday,” said interim manager Chad Tracy. “There's a little bit more work [interim bench coach José David Flores] wants to do with him, but I definitely think you'll see more of him there. Does that mean he'll play there every single day? Maybe not, but we're definitely going to explore that.”
Tracy also said he didn’t envision Mayer bouncing back and forth between positions while Story is out. Reading between the lines, look for nearly all of Mayer’s playing time to come at short for the next several weeks.
“I feel like I feel comfortable anywhere defensively,” said Mayer. “Obviously it’s been months since I’ve played short, so maybe it’s different, the in-game reads and stuff. But as far as fielding ground balls and throwing it to first base, I feel pretty confident in my ability to do so wherever. That’s home to me. That’s where I’ve played my whole life.”
With Mayer’s pending move to short, the Sox will rotate utility infielders Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Andruw Monasterio and Nick Sogard at second base.
Tracy, who managed Mayer when he played shortstop in the early part of 2025 for Triple-A Worcester, has confidence the 23-year-old will make a seamless move back to his old home.
“Really, initially, it's just the angles are different,” said Tracy. “Different batted-ball types, you take different routes and angles. You have more time [at second] because the throw is shorter. At short, you have to cut angles differently.
“So, just reacclimating to that, he's played there a lot, so he's cozy over there. But reacclimating to that. We did a lot of fungo work … with me hitting fungos and just seeing him react to those angles. When you have a longer throw, it plays a little differently.”
While Mayer has always been a gifted defender, he’s had a hard time gaining consistency with his bat at the Major League level.
The left-handed hitter entered Friday’s game with a batting line of .221/.290/.313 with six doubles, two homers and nine RBIs in 146 plate appearances this season.
“Ups and downs,” Mayer said. “The biggest thing is just trying to find consistency. Obviously I’m not where I want to be by any means. But yeah, I felt like I took some strides in Kansas City, got to keep moving forward.”
Any chance that moving back to where he is most comfortable on defense will bring more out of Mayer offensively?
“I don’t know. We’ll find out, I guess,” said Mayer.