Alex Bregman will be reinstated from the injured list after a month and a half on the shelf with a quad strain, and the Boston Red Sox had a decision to make.
The Red Sox have infielders to spare, and with Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro playing so well, one of their younger players seemed destined for a trip to Triple-A. Whether it would be Marcelo Mayer or David Hamilton was unknown until the former's June 10 seventh-inning at-bat against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Boston was down 3-1 against its division rival after a solid six-inning, three-run performance from Walker Buehler. Gonzalez and Trevor Story stood on first and second base, and Mayer cracked a double through the left side and all the way to the Green Monster. It scored Trevor Story to bring the Red Sox within one run, and the red-hot Ceddanne Rafaela followed with a two-RBI double to take the lead.
“Probably Marcelo’s best at-bat of the season, just taking pitches and shooting the ball the other way,” Alex Cora said after the game. “It was a big one, but we trust him. He's a good hitter."
In that moment, Red Sox Nation knew Mayer would not be the roster casualty to activate Bregman.
Marcelo Mayer's clutch at-bat saved him from being optioned as Red Sox activate Alex Bregman
Marcelo with a double to plate Story! pic.twitter.com/Fj5or9hnUP
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 11, 2025
Mayer is batting .234/.272/.421 with six doubles, a triple, four homers and nine RBI over 37 games in the big leagues this year. The top prospect is still finding his footing with the Red Sox, but his smooth defense and latest clutch moment helped earn him the roster spot he continues to hold.
Hamilton made the Opening Day roster and has spent the entire season in the majors. He's slashing .179/.229/.276 with 15 stolen bases over 62 games, and he offers much more reliable middle infield defense than last season, when he logged 10 errors over 101 appearances. Mayer is the clear choice to help the team maintain its standing in the Wild Card chase.
Earlier in Bregman's injured list stint and in the immediate wake of the Rafael Devers trade, Boston's offense faltered. Its slump included a stretch of six straight losses, a sweep at the hands of the Angels, and its record dropped to three games below .500. Bregman will return as the Red Sox ride seven-straight wins of momentum and right after Masataka Yoshida bolstered the offense.
If Bregman quickly falls back into step and Boston continues its torrid streak, it could be in firm hold of a playoff spot by the trade deadline, as was expected earlier this season.