While the Boston Red Sox are fighting for their lives in the last month of the regular season, the team got some bad news about one of their top prospects on Monday morning.
According to the Boston Globe's Alex Speier, Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024 season due to a lumbar injury.
Mayer, 21, was promoted to Triple-A Worcester alongside the organization's two other top prospects (Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel). However, Mayer has yet to make his debut at that level. His last game played was on July 30 for Double-A Portland.
In 77 games for Portland this season, Mayer was on fire, hitting .307 with an .850 OPS, eight home runs, 38 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. He's listed as the team's No. 2 prospect by Sox Prospects in their August update.
There are only 25 games left in Worcester's season, so there's a chance that Mayer could've come back if there was more time remaining. However, this will give him an opportunity to fully focus on his rehab and recovery, as he prepares for a 2025 season that might see him play for the big league club at some point.
Durability has been a big question for Mayer, as he's failed to reach 80 games played in either of the last two seasons. Boston already has a middle infielder who's struggled to stay healthy in Trevor Story. They'll need Mayer to be someone they can depend on if he's going to be a piece of their future.
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