Boston Red Sox
“He has to show us that he can handle this.”
It looks like the Red Sox want to challenge Marcelo Mayer to be the best version of himself this spring training. Barry Chin/Globe Staff
February 20, 2026 | 5:57 PM
3 minutes to read
There’s still over one month until the 2026 MLB regular season begins (34 days, to be exact), which means there’s plenty of time for players to prove themselves in spring training ahead of Opening Day.
However, one Red Sox athlete in particular received a clear, and public, message from manager Alex Cora Friday: you do not have a guaranteed spot on next month’s Opening Day roster.
Marcelo Mayer, who is in the mix to start at either second base or third base for Boston, has to earn the starting job, Cora told reporters ahead of the team’s first spring training game of the year against Northeastern University.
When asked what Mayer will have to do this spring to make the roster, Cora said the 23-year-old needs to improve offensively.
“He wasn’t great offensively last year. He’ll be the first one to tell you that. Defensively, he was excellent. Base-running-wise, he’s really good. But offensively, there’s more,” Cora said (via MassLive’s Christopher Smith). “We know that, but he has to show us that he can handle this.”
In 136 plate appearances through 44 games, Mayer batted .228 with a .674 OPS, four home runs, and 28 RBI. He struck out 41 times, drew eight walks, and did not steal a base. Defensively, Mayer committed two errors: one at shortstop and one at third.
Mayer will have quite the opportunity to raise eyebrows over the next few weeks. He will not be participating in this year’s World Baseball Classic, unlike 15 of his organizational teammates, which could give him a better chance at making an impact during games.
But, the only way Mayer can be with the big-league club on Opening Day is if he can stay healthy, which is something he’s struggled to do since being drafted by the Red Sox No. 4 overall in 2021.
Mayer made his MLB debut when he got called up by Boston in May last season, but his rookie season got cut short when he suffered a wrist injury in late July. The ailment sidelined him for the remainder of the year. It was a familiar situation for Mayer, whose 2022-24 minor league seasons were also shortened due to various upper-body injuries.
With him being fully healthy for spring training in 2026, he has the chance to make his first Opening Day roster and help shore up a Red Sox infield defense that’s struggled mightily in recent years.
Since full squad practices began last week, Mayer has primarily practiced at second base while newcomer Caleb Durbin has fielded third base. Mayer played 3B in 39 of his 44 games last season, but did play some 2B for the first time in his career in 2025 at both the minor and major league level (18 total appearances). He was drafted and came up through the system primarily as a shortstop.
However, Mayer practiced at 3B Friday for the first time this spring as Durbin underwent an emergency root canal.
Last week, Cora said he wanted to determine where Mayer and Durbin would play during games this spring rather quickly, with the hopes of allowing veteran SS Trevor Story to create chemistry with his double-play partner at 2B. One week in, it doesn’t appear that he’s come up with an answer yet.
Though, given that Cora wants to see more from Mayer offensively before giving him a starting infield role, it would be contradictory to have him at 2B in the event that he starts the season in Triple-A.
Regardless, the team does have a plethora of infielders to choose from following the recent acquisitions of Durbin and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. We know the Red Sox aren’t afraid to platoon just about any position on the diamond, so perhaps that’s the route Cora takes to start the season if Mayer doesn’t earn his spot.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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