Ex-Red Sox Top Prospect Denied Fenway Return After Frustrating Setback originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Marcelo Mayer appeared to be headed for an intriguing return to Fenway Park this weekend. Instead, the former Boston Red Sox top prospect was unable to make the trip with the San Francisco Giants because of an all-too-familiar problem.
Mayer suffered a setback while rehabbing a foot injury, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. The 23-year-old consequently will not face the organization that selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.
Giants manager Tony Vitello said Mayer had been dealing with a bone bruise that he aggravated after returning to game action.
“He just aggravated it a little bit from being back out there every day,” Vitello said, per Pavlovic. “He’s just going to take the weekend off and then kind of reassess things later.”
Mayer recently played four rehab games with Triple-A Sacramento, seemingly positioning himself to make his Giants debut during their series in Boston. That possibility disappeared when the discomfort returned.
Marcelo Mayer Misses Compelling Red Sox ReunionMayer’s absence removed another emotional storyline from a series already defined by Rafael Devers’ return to Fenway. Devers made his presence felt Friday night by homering against his former club, although Boston ultimately earned a 6-4 victory. Mayer would have returned under substantially different circumstances, but his appearance still would have generated plenty of attention.
The Red Sox traded Mayer to San Francisco for left-handed reliever Erik Miller at the beginning of August. It was a surprising decision given Mayer’s pedigree and long-standing status as one of Boston’s most important young players. Mayer received an opportunity with the Red Sox earlier this season but recorded a .631 OPS over 73 plate appearances. He also experienced some defensive difficulties before landing on the injured list with a hairline fracture in his forearm following his final appearance June 25.
MORE: Red Sox Spoil Rafael Devers’ Fenway Return With Statement Win
Injuries Remain Major Concern For Former ProspectThe talent that once made Mayer one of baseball’s highest-rated prospects remains evident. His availability, however, has become an increasingly significant concern. Mayer has not appeared in at least 100 games during any professional season. He also has never played a professional game later than Aug. 3, as Inside The Red Sox’s Jackson Roberts noted.
That history helped make Boston’s decision to move him more understandable, even if trading a former first-round cornerstone for a reliever initially looked underwhelming. Miller has the opportunity to help the Red Sox immediately while Mayer faces another uncertain recovery timetable. San Francisco still could benefit enormously if Mayer becomes healthy and reaches his considerable ceiling, but that has become a much bigger “if” than either organization would prefer.
The Red Sox did not make the Mayer trade because they questioned his natural ability. His latest setback offered another reminder of why Boston apparently decided it could no longer wait for that ability to be consistently available.
More Red Sox
Leave a Comment