Besides their revamped rotation and offensive additions, the most exciting thing about the Boston Red Sox's 2026 season will be watching their former top prospects find themselves in the big leages.
Roman Anthony is already well on his way to baseball superstardom — he placed third in American League Rookie of the Year voting after just 71 games in the majors and his appearances for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic will net him even more international recognition. Marcelo Mayer's spring will be spent closer to home.
The WBC has pushed many of Boston's stars into spring training action early, and many Sox fans have wondered why Mayer has not appeared among them in a Grapefruit League game. The infielder is working his way up from a wrist surgery he underwent this offseason, but his spring training debut is coming.
Mayer will take the field for the first time on Friday, February 27, according to a report from Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. He'll make the start at second base, where he's split time with Caleb Durbin as the Red Sox decide where the two will play during the regular season.
Marcelo Mayer to make spring training debut at second base on Friday, Red Sox announce
Mayer's wrist injury to the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) was a lingering one from 2022. He addressed the injury then with a cortisone shot, knowing it would probably come back later on. He opted for surgery to truly mend it this time around, and hopefully it does the job — Mayer has dealt with durability issues in the past, which the Red Sox must resolve now that he's a big leaguer.
Included in a recent story from Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe, Alex Cora mentioned that Mayer's debut is delayed because he's "adding to his hitting program" (subscription required). He's been hitting high velocity off a pitching machine and getting ready to return to game action by facing a Trajekt machine.
Despite many fans' expectations after a long offseason that included many infield free agent and trade misses, Cora says Mayer's spot on the Opening Day roster isn't guaranteed. The Red Sox hope to field a team with improved defense from last year, and it would figure that the ever-smooth Mayer would be part of that evolution. But his offense needs enough work that it could limit him to a bench role at first, or he could start the season in Triple-A.
Some videos of Mayer's defense and batting practice sessions from spring training have circulated and he looks ready to return to action, athletic as ever. Red Sox fans are excited to see him take the field and begin growing into the big leaguer the team knows he can be.