Marcelo Mayer Fantasy Stats

Boston Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's Opening Day contest against the Cincinnati Reds. While manager Alex Cora previously said Mayer made the roster as Boston's starting second baseman, it appears that he won't be getting many at-bats against left-handed pitching. The Red Sox face left-hander Andrew Abbott on Thursday, and Cora has decided to start right-handed-hitting infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa at second base over Mayer. It's not the flashiest decision, but it makes sense. Mayer had a rough rookie season at the plate, posting a .416 OPS, a 37% strikeout rate, and 6 wRC+ against left-handed pitching (27 plate appearances). He could come off the bench if the Reds bring in a right-handed reliever, and we expect him to start at second base on Saturday against right-hander Brady Singer.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the team will mix-and-match platoon partners this season for left-handed hitting infielder Marcelo Mayer, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. While Mayer will serve as the team's primary second baseman to start the year, it appears as though veteran infielders Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio will both be used in place of Mayer when Boston faces a left-handed starting pitcher. The 23-year-old Mayer made his MLB debut in 2025, slashing .228/.272/.402 with four home runs, 10 RBI, and 20 runs scored across 136 plate appearances. However, he had just four hits in 26 at-bats against southpaws in the majors and posted a .638 OPS against left-handed pitching during his time at Triple-A. From a fantasy perspective, Mayer losing playing time against lefties will hurt his ability to rack up counting stats. Still, avoiding his weakness against same-handed pitchers could improve his batting average and lead to a better overall line in his time in the lineup.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora officially announced on Saturday that infielder Marcelo Mayer will break camp as the team's starting second baseman, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. This was the expectation all along after Boston recently named Caleb Durbin as the starting third baseman. Mayer, 23, beat out Nick Sogard for starting duties at the keystone to open the 2026 season. The former fourth overall pick in 2021 is currently hitting .214 (6-for-28) with a homer, two RBI, four runs scored, eight walks, and eight strikeouts in 11 Grapefruit League games this spring. Mayer made his MLB debut in 2025 and appeared in 44 games, slashing .228/.272/.402 with a .674 OPS, four home runs, 10 RBI, and 20 runs scored in 136 plate appearances. The left-handed hitter gets a boost as a late-round upside stash in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues with the news for his middling power and speed at a middle-infield position. As Mayer begins his first full major-league season, his ideal fantasy value comes as a developing dynasty/keeper middle-infield asset.

MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo reports that "all signs continue to point to" infielder Marcelo Mayer starting the year as the team's "primary second baseman," but manager Alex Cora "won't cop to it." Mayer has played better recently in spring training, and the Red Sox have already announced Caled Durbin as their starting third baseman. Mayer's "inclusion seems like a formality" on the Opening Day roster, and he is the clear favorite for most of the at-bats at the keystone in 2026 as long as he's healthy. The 23-year-old former fourth overall pick in 2021 has hit 6-for-24 (.250) with a homer, two RBI, four runs, six walks, and seven strikeouts in nine Grapefruit League games. Staying healthy has been an issue for Mayer early in his career, and he struggled in his big-league debut in 2025, hitting .228/.272/.402 with four homers, 10 RBI, eight walks, and 41 strikeouts in 136 plate appearances over 44 games. Fantasy managers in deep-mixed leagues should think of him as an upside bench option as a late-round flier that can contribute decent volume with middling power and speed. Mayer carries more intrigue in dynasty/keeper leagues as a developing power/speed threat on the middle infield.

Boston Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer (knee) is "fine" and should return to the lineup on Tuesday, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. Manager Alex Cora told McCaffrey that Mayer had left knee soreness start to bother him prior to first pitch on Sunday, so the team scratched him from the lineup. He'll remain out of the lineup on Monday before getting back into his regular routine as a starter on Tuesday. All in all, this is very good news, especially given Mayer's injury history. He has already had four significant injured list stints in the last three years, including a months-long absence that sidelined him from July 2025 through the end of the regular season. Now, to further complicate the situation, he's also on the edge of the roster bubble, and it remains unclear if he'll open the 2026 season at Triple-A or the majors. Boston has locked in Caleb Durbin as its starting third baseman, but second base remains an area of mystery, with Mayer and Isiah Kiner-Falefa the top names in the mix. The fact that Mayer will return to the lineup on Tuesday will give him a few more opportunities to compete for a roster spot before spring training concludes.

Boston Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer (knee) was scratched from the lineup ahead of Sunday's Grapefruit League contest against the Minnesota Twins. According to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com, Mayer is experiencing left knee soreness. While it's hard to gauge the severity of injuries from a potentially precautionary lineup change in spring training, this situation requires extra attention because of Mayer's injury history. He's had four significant injured list stints in the last three years, including a months-long absence that sidelined him from July 2025 through the end of the regular season. The former first-round pick has been competing for a spot on Boston's Opening Day roster, with manager Alex Cora publicly acknowledging Mayer isn't a lock to make the team. A knee injury certainly won't help his chances, especially if it's significant enough to sideline him for multiple games. At this point, it's looking more likely that Isiah Kiner-Falefa could be the Red Sox' Opening Day second baseman with Mayer and Romy Gonzalez (shoulder) injured.

The Boston Red Sox reportedly haven't engaged in extension talks with infielder Marcelo Mayer or pitching prospect Connelly Early, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. It has become increasingly common for organizations to sign their young prospects to long-term extensions, paying them a little more in the short term to ensure they gain extra years of guaranteed control further down the road. However, it sounds like the Sox don't have any interest in jumping to that step with Mayer or Early yet. Injuries limited Mayer to just 44 MLB games in his rookie season last year, and while he played solid defense, he slashed just .228/.272/.402 with a 30.1% strikeout rate and 80 wRC+ at the dish. He's viewed as a potential long-term third base solution with Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman gone, but currently, Boston is non-committal about giving him a spot on the 2026 Opening Day roster. Early has flashed upside on the mound, albeit over a small sample size. Through four starts as a rookie last year, he posted a 0.91 FIP with 13.50 K/9, 1.86 BB/9, and a 46.7% ground ball rate. The Red Sox have previously signed long-term extensions with other young prospects, including Brayan Bello, Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Ceddanne Rafaela. We could see Mayer and Early join that list eventually, but for now, extension talks are non-existent.

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.