Red Sox Dealt Tough Marcelo Mayer Blow Before Blue Jays Series

The Boston Red Sox will look to snap a five-game losing streak when they return to action on Friday night against the Toronto Blue Jays. Before they could take the field, though, they were dealt a tough blow involving Marcelo Mayer.

One of Boston’s “big-three” prospects, Mayer was promoted to the majors back in May when Alex Bregman was forced to the injured list with a quad injury. In his first taste of the pros, Mayer is hitting just .206, but he does have four home runs and seven RBIs to his name.

Perhaps more importantly, Mayer has filled in at third base in Bregman’s absence, while also spending time at second base and his preferred position of shortstop. Amid all the Rafael Devers position drama, Mayer’s willingness to pick up the glove and play wherever he was asked has been a refreshing change of pace.

Even amid his struggles at the plate, Mayer is going to be given every chance by manager Alex Cora to figure things out on the fly. Those plans were put on hold on Friday, though, as the Red Sox announced they had placed Mayer on the bereavement list ahead of their clash with the Blue Jays.

“The Red Sox today placed INF Marcelo Mayer on the Bereavement List. To fill his spot, Boston recalled INF/OF Nick Sogard from Triple-A Worcester,” the Red Sox said in a post on X.

It’s unclear how long Mayer will be out for, but it is worth noting that a player can only spend a maximum of three days on the bereavement list. So at worst, he could end up missing this entire series against Toronto.

In a corresponding move, Nick Sogard has been called back up to the big leagues. In 14 games with the Sox this season, Sogard is hitting .245 with no homers and two RBIs. He’s slated to play third base and bat ninth for Boston on Friday night against Toronto.

The hits keep coming for the Red Sox, but they are still in the thick of the American League wild card race, even though their 40-42 record is currently below .500. First pitch for their clash with the Blue Jays is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.