With Trevor Story expected to be on the shelf for several weeks after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia on May 22, the Boston Red Sox are turning to Marcelo Mayer to take over as their shortstop until the Texas native returns.
Mayer finally started at shortstop, his natural position, during Boston's 6-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins on May 24, and now he has a great opportunity to prove to the team that this is exactly where he belongs for the long haul.
Marcelo Mayer needs to step up in Trevor Story's absence
The 23-year-old is the best defensive shortstop on the Red Sox' roster, and if he can finally find his rhythm at the plate, he will be able to establish himself as a legitimate contributor at the major-league level.
In 47 games this season, Mayer is batting just .214 with a .577 OPS, and he has recorded two home runs and 11 RBIs in 140 at-bats. He did have a solid 11-game stretch from Apr. 24 to May 6, where he hit .353 and recorded a .788 OPS, but outside of that, he's mostly struggled at the plate. And given that he wasn't all that hot last year either (.228 BA, .674 OPS, four home runs, 10 RBIs in 44 games), there is some concern.
It is important to remember that the California native missed the last two-plus months of last season after undergoing wrist surgery, which, paired with him naturally trying to acclimate to MLB-level pitching anyway, is playing a big role in his struggles. Still, expectations were high for Mayer when Boston called him up last season, and so far, the returns haven't been great.
With him likely being the team's full-time shortstop for the next couple of months or so, this will be the perfect time for him to iron out his problems and finally become the player the Red Sox are hoping he can develop into.
Marcelo Mayer still has a bright future in Boston
Despite the slow offensive start to his MLB career, Mayer has a lot of potential to become a big-time player for the Red Sox moving forward.
He is incredible defensively, which can pay dividends for Boston even if he never figures it out offensively (Ã la Jackie Bradley Jr... ahem... 2018 ALCS MVP Jackie Bradley Jr., who was a career .225 hitter in 11 MLB seasons), has a good swing, even if it's not translating to hits, and can be a major long-term asset for years to come once he reaches his potential.
Things haven't looked as good for Mayer as everybody had hoped once he made his MLB debut last year, but it's clear that he has the talent. He just needs to figure it all out, and this is as good a time as any for him to take that next step. (And if that doesn't happen, at least he has an elite acting career waiting for him that he can fall back on.)
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