Marcelo Mayer Fantasy Stats

Boston Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer, who has quickly developed an injury-prone label, "set out on a mission to gain more strength and speed" to withstand the rigors of his first full major-league season, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. The 23-year-old has never played more than 91 games in a season since he was taken fourth overall in 2021 due to back, shoulder, and wrist injuries. Mayer entered camp this year at 220 pounds, the most he's ever weighed, but he also feels "fast and explosive." He has much more to prove this year as he looks to lock down a starting job at either second or third base in 2026. Mayer's rookie season in 2025 ended early in August due to right-wrist surgery, and he hit just .228 with a .674 OPS in 44 games in Boston before the injury. If Mayer can stay healthy, steal more bases, and limit his strikeouts (especially against lefties) in 2026, he could be an excellent sleeper candidate in fantasy baseball with potential multi-position eligibility.

Boston Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer (wrist) is expected to remain sidelined for a few more days. According to Ian Browne, Mayer isn't expected to make his spring debut for a couple of days. Mayer still needs to do some batting practice and get his wrist more exposed to hitting before moving into live games. The young infielder is currently recovering from wrist surgery that he underwent last August. The 23-year-old is expected to be a major factor in the Red Sox lineup this season. During the 2025 campaign, Mayer slashed .228/.272/.402 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 44 games. The former first-round pick should get a much longer look in a Red Sox uniform this upcoming season.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora made it clear that it's not a guarantee that infielder Marcelo Mayer will be on the team's Opening Day roster, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. Cora said Mayer "needs to earn" a job on the Opening Day roster and needs to "show some things this spring." Specifically, the skipper said Mayer "needs to be better offensively than he was in the majors last year." The 23-year-old former fourth overall pick in 2021 struggled in his first taste of the majors in 2025, hitting .228/.272/.402 with a .674 OPS, four homers, 10 RBI, and a 41:8 K:BB in 136 plate appearances. Mayer is still a good bet to be on the Opening Day roster at either second or third base, but the BoSox will make him work for it. There is a buy-low opportunity for fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues going into Mayer's first full season in the big leagues.

For the second day in a row at camp, Boston Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer is at second base, and Caleb Durbin is at third base, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that Mayer would see most of his playing time at third in 2026 after Alex Bregman left via free agency. However, the recent trade acquisition of Durbin from the Milwaukee Brewers has changed the dynamic of Boston's infield at the start of spring training. The 23-year-old Mayer, a former shortstop prospect, played both second and third in his rookie campaign in 2025. Durbin has experience at the keystone, but he primarily played the hot corner in Milwaukee last year. Mayer, the former fourth overall pick in 2021, might have more long-term upside offensively, but Durbin is probably the better immediate contributor in fantasy after clubbing 11 homers and stealing 18 bases in 136 regular-season games in 2025.

A Boston Red Sox source indicated a preference for infielder Marcelo Mayer at third base over second base, but that was before the team acquired infielder Caleb Durbin from the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. It's unclear whether Durbin's play at third last year will bump Mayer to second, but McCaffrey writes that wherever Durbin plays, Mayer "will man the other spot." We'll get a better idea of Boston's plans based on where Mayer and Durbin are positioned during their spring training drills. Mayer, 23, struggled in his first year in the big leagues in 2025, hitting .228/.272/.402 with a .674 OPS, four home runs, 10 RBI, eight walks, and 41 strikeouts in 136 plate appearances over 44 games. With Alex Bregman and David Hamilton gone, the former first-rounder should see more playing time in 2026. He'll need to lower his strikeout rate, but at the very least, he should be on the strong side of a platoon at either second or third base in Boston.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said at Fenway Fest last month that he "envisions more playing time against lefties" for infielder Marcelo Mayer, which indicates more of a full-time role instead of a platoon, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. The departure of Alex Bregman in free agency left a gaping hole at third base this offseason. Mayer is expected to see most of the playing time at the hot corner, although it's unclear how Wednesday's addition of Isiah Kiner-Falefa will change the dynamic. Boston also has infielders Romy Gonzalez, David Hamilton, and Nick Sogard in the mix, as well as Nate Eaton and Kristian Campbell. The 23-year-old Mayer, who hits left-handed, only had 27 plate appearances against southpaws in 2025 and posted an ugly .416 OPS against them. Mayer struggled in his rookie campaign, striking out 30% of the time while walking at a 5.9% clip. If he struggles against lefties, Kiner-Falefa could take over the short side of a platoon at third in Beantown.

The Boston Red Sox continue to explore potential infield additions, but Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports that the organization prefers to play infielder Marcelo Mayer at third base. McCaffrey speculates that Mayer would be a strong fit at the hot corner, not only because he played well in Alex Bregman's absence last year, but also because Boston views him as its franchise shortstop after Trevor Story's contract expires, so they'd like to keep him on the left side of the infield. Plus, although president of baseball operations Craig Breslow wouldn't commit to Mayer at second base or third base, he did emphasize a desire to improve the infield defense. Mayer posted 2 OAA and 2 FRV at third base last year. Connecting the dots, this would seem to indicate that if the Red Sox do pursue an external addition, they may prefer a second baseman over a third baseman. McCaffrey writes that Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner, who would fetch a significant haul if traded, might make more sense than third baseman Isaac Paredes, who has struggled defensively. As the roster currently stands, Mayer projects to play third base while Romy Gonzalez, Nate Eaton, and Nick Sogard could platoon at second.

Boston Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer is preparing to play both second and third base this upcoming season. In 2025, Mayer played mostly third base, but saw action at second and shortstop as well. The absence of Alex Bregman means that Mayer should be able to see regular time at third base now. The Red Sox also don't have an everyday option at second base, but Kristian Campbell figures to get a fair shot at earning the starting job. Mayer having the ability to play multiple positions should help him get in the lineup more frequently. Due to injuries, Mayer was limited to 44 games with the Red Sox last season. He slashed .228/.272/.402 with four home runs and 10 RBI during his time with the big league club.

The Boston Red Sox would be comfortable with Marcelo Mayer as their starting third baseman on Opening Day. The 22-year-old endured a rough rookie season, slashing .228/.272/.402 with four home runs, 10 RBI, 20 runs, and no steals while posting an 80 wRC+. He also struck out at a 30.1% clip across 136 plate appearances. His year ended early after a wrist injury that required surgery in August. Looking ahead to 2026, a fully healthy Mayer projects for roughly 15 home runs, 10 steals, and a .250 batting average. At present, he profiles as a viable middle-infield option in deep 12- or 15-team fantasy leagues.

The Boston Red Sox announced Wednesday that rookie infielder Marcelo Mayer (wrist) underwent a successful right-wrist arthroscopy. Dr. Matthew Leibman performed the procedure. The 22-year-old initially sprained his wrist in late July. He had a subsequent cortisone shot, tried extended rest, and still ended up needing surgery anyway. Mayer has now had season-ending injuries in each of the last three years. The Red Sox's top prospect had a shoulder injury in 2023 and a back injury in 2024. Recovery time for the surgery is three months, and he should be healthy heading into spring training. When healthy this year, Mayer slashed .228/.272/.402 and with a 30.1% strikeout rate in 136 plate appearances.