Marcelo Mayer shares wrist injury update, hopes to play again this season originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Amid speculation that his season might be over, rookie infielder Marcelo Mayer is taking a positive outlook for the time being.
Mayer, not wearing a protective brace on his wrist, met with the media ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the Royals and provided some details on the injury that’s kept him off the field for the past two weeks.
Mayer told reporters that he suffered a TFCC injury (triangular fibrocartilage complex tear) and that he chose to get a cortisone injection with the hope of being able to play as soon as possible, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. Mayer said he also suffered a TFCC injury in 2022, when he was limited to just 91 games in Boston’s minor league system.
Mayer, who’s missed 10 games since suffering the injury, won’t make the trip with his teammates to his hometown of San Diego this weekend at the start of a six-game road trip.
The public outlook on Mayer had turned for the worse over the weekend, when USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that season-ending surgery was “a possibility after consulting with specialists.” Nightengale noted that the wrist injury was “more serious than the Red Sox initially envisioned.”
Mayer did say that surgery was an option, but he chose the cortisone shot route with the hope of being able to play again this season.
That report came just days after Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told reporters in a post-trade deadline Zoom call that Mayer was seeking a second opinion on his injured wrist. It also came after manager Alex Cora told reporters that Mayer was set to receive an anti-inflammation injection to help expedite his recovery.
The 22-year-old Mayer, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, made his MLB debut in late May this year. He remained with the big league club until suffering the injury in Philadelphia on July 23. In his 44 games in the majors, Mayer has batted .228 with a .674 OPS. In 127 at-bats, he belted He has eight doubles, a triple, four home runs and 10 RBIs in 127 at-bats.
A natural shortstop, Mayer was primarily used at third base during Alex Bregman’s injury, and he shifted over to second base upon Bregman’s return. Mayer’s IL stint created a domino effect of sorts, with Ceddanne Rafaela coming in from the outfield to play second base. Romy Gonzalez, primarily used as a first baseman throughout the season, also slid over to fill in at second. Cora’s game of lineup Jenga was further complicated on Monday when rookie corner outfielder Roman Anthony was a late scratch due to back tightness.
The Red Sox have overcome those lineup uncertainties, though, winning three straight series against the Dodgers, Twins and Astros before winning the series opener against the Royals on Monday night.
