On May 16, in the middle of their series against the Atlanta Braves, the Boston Red Sox placed shortstop Trevor Story on the injured list. He was initially diagnosed with a groin issue, but the Red Sox learned more about the nature of his injury as the weekend went on.
Story is now diagnosed with a sports hernia and he's debating surgery that could keep him out of action for six-10 weeks. If Story does get the surgery soon, he could be ready for action as soon as early July, if all goes well with his recovery.
In the meantime, the Red Sox have to decide who will take up shortstop in Story's stead. In the two games since Story has been out of action, his substitute has been Andruw Monasterio, but many fans are wondering why it hasn't been Marcelo Mayer.
Mayer played shortstop in the minor leagues, all throughout his tenure as a top prospect in the Red Sox oganization. He became known for his smooth defense and ability to make flashy plays with ease. But the Red Sox have seemingly refused to consider him for the shortstop job.
Trevor Story's injury finally forces Red Sox to consider moving Marcelo Mayer to shortstop
Even before spring training began, former Red Sox manager Alex Cora asserted that Story would be his team's shortstop going into 2026, despite his poor defensive metrics from the year prior and Mayer's arrival to the big leagues. Story's injury could finally open the door for Mayer to get some reps at his natural position.
Boston's interim manager Chad Tracy said he's more likely to play Mayer at shortstop if Story's injury is a long-term one — if Story undergoes the sports hernia surgery he's debating, Mayer's shortstop career can begin (subscription required). The sophomore is a skilled-enough defender to thrive wherever the Red Sox play him, but the resistance to play him at shortstop is curious.
Mayer was the best shortstop on the team the moment he was promoted to the big leagues, but the Red Sox decided to stick with Story, maybe because Story is a veteran and therefore harder to move to a different position, or Mayer's injury history could be a concern. Either way, the season's results speak for themselves: Story has logged three outs below average for 10th percentile range and -1 defensive runs saved while Mayer has clocked three outs above average for 92nd percentile range and two defensive runs saved.
Story's injury gives the Red Sox a perfect excuse to test Mayer at shortstop. Why he hasn't been playing there all year, we may never know. Moving him sooner rather than later could give him the chance to get comfortable before Romy Gonzalez returns from his injury. A Red Sox infield with Mayer at shortstop and Gonzalez at second base could be their best one so far this season.
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