Injury creates opportunity for highly touted Red Sox prospect

One of the Boston Red Sox's top prospects is heading to the majors.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the Red Sox are calling infielder Marcelo Mayer to Boston. He will make his major league debut when he gets into a game.

A consensus top 100 prospect since 2022, MLB.com ranks Mayer as the Red Sox's second-best prospect and the 8th-best prospect in the game. Mayer has been lauded for his strong all around game. His bat speed and minor league exit velocities have been impressive. Mayer has posted a .271/.347/.471 batting line in his 193 Triple-A plate appearances, hitting nine homers and five doubles while seeing time at second, third and short.

There are questions about Mayer's durability. He has missed significant time in each of the last three years and has yet to appear in more than 91 games in a season. 

Mayer's opportunity comes at the expense of the Red Sox's best player this season. Third baseman Alex Bregman left Friday's game against the Orioles with tightness in his right quad and will likely need a stint on the injured list.

Bregman's injury creates a significant hole in the lineup. He had been in the midst of his best season since he finished as the runner-up in the 2019 AL MVP vote. Bregman had produced a .299/.385/.553 batting line in his 226 plate appearances, hitting 11 homers and 17 doubles while playing Gold Glove caliber defense at third. His 3.0 bWAR and five runs saved at third are second in the AL as Bregman has made an impact in every facet of the game.

Mayer has a chance to carve out a role this season, even when Bregman is healthy. Shortstop Trevor Story is healthy but has been an abject disappointment. First baseman Triston Casas is out for the rest of the season and had been one of the worst players in the majors. If Mayer hits the ground running, he could stick in Boston for the rest of the season.