Feb 27, 2026; North Port, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Marcelo Mayer (11) throws to first base in the second inning against the Atlanta Braves during spring training at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Red Sox Hit Jackpot With Marcelo Mayer, Triston Casas News

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Mar 16, 2026 2:44 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox had a bit of a scare on Sunday as Marcelo Mayer was scratched from the linuep for the club due to left knee soreness.

Fortunately, afterward, The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey reported that Mayer is fine. McCaffrey noted that Mayer would be sitting on Monday with the expectation that he would be starting for the club on Tuesday. That update in itself was positive. MassLive.com's Christopher Smith added a bit more positivity to it, noting that Mayer would be playing in a minor league game on Monday. In the same game, Garrett Crochet was set to start and Triston Casas was even going to hit.

"Marcelo Mayer is playing in this minor league game that Garrett Crochet is starting. He was scratched yesterday with left knee soreness. Triston Casas also will hit," Smith wrote.

Two positive updates for Boston

So, there really isn't any cause for concern around Mayer right now. He obviously was scratched from the lineup on Sunday, but the fact that he was well enough to return to the field on Monday in some capacity just adds more fuel to the idea that he's fine.

On top of that, Smith mentioning Casas as someone participating in the action is pretty positive as well. Casas had hoped to participate in big league Spring Training games before Opening Day, but Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reported on March 9 that he will not be fully ready to go in Spring Training action before camp closes. The fact that he's at least able to bat in minor league action right now shows that he is progressing and isn't far away from full game action.

As of writing, there are just 10 days left to go until Opening Day. Boston will begin the 162-game marathon of a season on March 26 against the Cincinnati Reds. Mayer still appears to be in line to be with the team. Casas certainly isn't expected to be ready for Opening Day in the majors, but it sounds like he's trending in the right direction. All in all, a good day overall for Boston on Monday.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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