Tag: worcester red sox

Red Sox promote IF prospect Mikey Romero to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted infield prospect and former first-round pick Mikey Romero from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Romero, 21, is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 14 prospect, while MLB Pipeline has him at No. 7 and SoxProspects.com has him at No. 11. The left-handed hitter broke camp with Portland this spring and batted .254/.315/.440 with 18 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, a team-leading 40 RBIs, 40 runs scored, four stolen bases, 23 walks, and 74 strikeouts in 66 games (297 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs to begin the 2025 season.

After being sidelined for most of June with arm fatigue, Romero had slashed .262/.292/.423 with eight doubles, two triples, three home runs, 22 RBIs, 14 runs scored, one stolen base, five walks, and 31 strikeouts in his last 30 games (138 plate appearances) leading up to Friday’s promotion. Overall, he is batting .253/.305/.452 against right-handed pitching and .255/.356/.392 against left-handed pitching so far this year.

Among 62 qualified hitters in the Eastern League entering play Friday, Romero notably ranks eighth in isolated power (.187), 11th in slugging percentage, 16th in OPS (.755), 18th in batting average, 19th in wRC+ (116), 20th in wOBA (.342), 26th in line-drive rate (23.2 percent), and 31st in on-base percentage, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Romero has seen playing time at every infield position besides first base this season. With Portland, the 6-foot, 205-pounder made 20 starts at third base, 20 starts at shortstop, and nine starts at second base, committing seven errors in 138 total chances. He also made 17 starts at DH.

A California native, Romero was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 24th overall selection in the 2022 draft out of Orange Lutheran High School. He forwent his commitment to LSU by signing with Boston for an under-slot $2.3 million and has dealt with several injuries since entering the professional ranks. Having said that, he had a healthy offseason after reaching Portland last August and then impressed manager Alex Cora in spring training despite not being part of big-league camp.

“Mikey Romero is a good player,” Cora said in March. ” We just got to get him healthy. He did everything this offseason to put himself in good shape. He’s a lot stronger now. This is the first time I’ve had a look consistently, and I like him as a player. … Good instincts, really good instincts.”

Romero figures to provide the WooSox with additional infield help after Blaze Jordan was traded to the Cardinals for veteran left-hander Steven Matz on Wednesday night. To mark his Triple-A debut, he is batting sixth and starting at third base in Game 1 of Worcester’s doubleheader against Lehigh Valley at Polar Park on Friday afternoon. He will be tasked with facing Phillies righty Aaron Nola, who is beginning a rehab assignment with the IronPigs, out of the gate.

(Picture of Mikey Romero: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospects Connelly Early, David Sandlin to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospects Connelly Early and David Sandlin from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Early, 23, and Sandlin, 24, are currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s Nos. 11 and 12 prospects, which rank sixth and seventh among pitchers in the organization, respectively. Both hurlers are moving up a level after first arriving in Portland a little over a year ago and putting together encouraging starts to their 2025 seasons.

Early, a left-hander, posted a 2.51 ERA (2.59 FIP) with a staff-leading 96 strikeouts to 29 walks over 15 appearances (12 starts) spanning 71 2/3 innings in which he held opponents to a .202 batting average. Sandlin, a right-hander, forged a 3.61 ERA (3.29 FIP) with 86 strikeouts to 27 walks across 17 outings (13 starts) spanning a staff-leading 82 1/3 innings in which opponents batted .227 against him.

Among 24 pitchers who have thrown at least 70 innings in the Eastern League this year, Early ranks second in strikeouts per nine innings (12.06), strikeout rate (32.3 percent), swinging-strike rate (14.9 percent), FIP, and xFIP (2.90), third in batting average against, groundball rate (49.7 percent), and ERA, and sixth in WHIP (1.13). Sandlin, meanwhile, ranks fifth in FIP, sixth in xFIP (3.50), seventh in strikeout rate (25.4 percent), eighth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.40), ninth in swinging-strike rate (11.7 percent) and WHIP (1.18), 10th in batting average against and ERA, 11th in walks per nine innings (2.95), and 12th in walk rate (8 percent), per FanGraphs.

Early was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round (151st overall) of the 2023 draft out of Virginia (by way of Army) and received a $408,500 signing bonus. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound southpaw features a 92-95 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, an 82-85 mph changeup, an 80-83 mph sweeper, an 84-87 mph slider, and a 77-80 mph curveball, as noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Sandlin was acquired from the Royals for reliever John Schreiber last February after originally being selected by Kansas City in the 11th round (325th overall) of the 2022 draft out of Oklahoma (by way of Eastern Oklahoma State). As highlighted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound righty operates with a 94-97 mph fastball that can reach 99-100 mph, a 90-93 mph slider, an 85-88 mph sweeper, an 88-91 mph splitter, and a 77-81 mph curveball.

Unlike Early, Sandlin can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. That could make him an intriguing trade candidate in the coming days if the Red Sox elect to deal from their pool of Rule 5-eligible prospects in an effort to improve the big-league club like they did last summer.

Barring a move involving either before Thursday’s trade deadline, though, Early and Sandlin are slated to join a starting rotation mix in Worcester that currently includes the likes of Cooper Criswell and Kyle Harrison (who are both on the 40-man roster) as well as Isaac Coffey, Robert Stock, and Tyler Uberstine. The WooSox open a six-game series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Polar Park on Tuesday.

(Picture of Connelly Early: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox bring back former catching prospect Ronaldo Hernández on minor-league deal

The Red Sox are bringing back former catching prospect Ronaldo Hernandez on a minor-league contract, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. He is expected to rejoin Triple-A Worcester and be active for Friday’s series opener against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Polar Park.

Hernandez, 27, was originally acquired by the Red Sox from the Rays alongside utilityman Nick Sogard in the February 2021 trade that sent pitchers Jeffrey Springs and Chris Mazza to Tampa Bay. The native Colombian spent the better part of the next three seasons with Worcester (where he hit 17 home runs in 2022 and 2023). He was called up to the major leagues on two separate occasions in 2022 but never debuted and was outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster that winter.

After reaching free agency at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign, Hernandez spent all of 2024 in the Diamondbacks organization and then signed a minors pact with the Yankees in February. The right-handed hitter broke camp with New York’s Triple-A affiliate (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) and batted .221/.287/.351 with four doubles, two home runs, 13 RBIs, seven runs scored, one stolen base, eight walks, and 19 strikeouts in 25 games (88 plate appearances) for the RailRiders, making 14 starts at catcher, nine starts at DH, and one start at first base. He was released earlier this month and briefly joined the Pericos de Puebla for a two-game stint in the Mexican League before receiving an offer to return to the WooSox.

Hernandez figures to provide the Red Sox with experienced catching depth at Triple-A behind the likes of Seby Zavala, who had emerged as Worcester’s top backstop following the departures of Blake Sabol (traded to the White Sox for cash considerations last Saturday) and Yasmani Grandal (placed on restricted list last month with intention to retire) in recent weeks.

(Picture of Ronaldo Hernandez: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Power-hitting OF prospect Jhostynxon Garcia to represent Red Sox in 2025 All-Star Futures Game

Power-hitting outfield prospect Jhostynxon “The Password” Garcia has been selected to represent the Red Sox at the 2025 All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta on July 12, Major League Baseball announced earlier Monday.

Garcia, the Red Sox’ lone selection at this point in time, was one of five outfielders named to the American League’s initial Futures Game roster. The 22-year-old is slated to join the Orioles’ Enrique Bradfield Jr., the Tigers’ Max Clark, the Mariners’ Lazaro Montes, and the White Sox’ Braden Montgomery (who was part of last December’s Garrett Crochet trade) in representing their respective organizations in the seven-inning exhibition at Truist Park.

Originally signed for $350,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019, Garcia is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 6 prospect and the No. 91 prospect in the sport. Following a standout 2024 season, the San Fernando de Apure native was added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection purposes last November and returned to Double-A Portland out of his first big league camp this spring.

In 33 games for the Sea Dogs out of the gate, Garcia batted .256/.355/.393 with five doubles, one triple, three home runs, 17 RBIs, 19 runs scored, four stolen bases, 18 walks, and 29 strikeouts over 138 plate appearances. The right-handed hitter received a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in late May and has since slashed .292/.363/.569 with five doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 23 RBIs, 23 runs scored, 15 walks, and 38 strikeouts through 33 games (146 plate appearances) for the WooSox.

Among 197 hitters who have made at least 140 trips to the plate in the International League this season, Garcia ranks sixth in isolated power (.281), eighth in slugging percentage, 10th in OPS (.932), 16th in wRC+ (141), 17th in wOBA (.404), 36th in batting average, and 56th in on-base percentage, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Garcia has seen playing time at all three outfield positions between his stops in Portland and Worcester this year. With the WooSox in particular, the 6-foot, 215-pounder has logged 177 1/3 innings in center field, 80 innings in right field, and five innings in left field, committing three errors and recording two outfield assists in 77 total chances. He has also made two starts at DH.

“Garcia is a complete player,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier) on Monday. “We’re very proud of him.”

(Picture of Jhostynxon Garcia: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote IF prospect Blaze Jordan to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting corner infield prospect Blaze Jordan from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

Jordan, 22, will move up a level for the first time in nearly two years with this promotion. The right-handed hitter initially got his 2025 season off to a slow start offensively, but turned things around for the better in May. Altogether, he batted a stout .320/.415/.513 with 11 doubles, six home runs, a team-leading 37 RBIs, 30 runs scored, three stolen bases, 22 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 44 games (176 plate appearances) for Portland.

Among qualified Eastern League hitters entering Sunday (Jordan didn’t play in Portland’s series finale against Altoona), Jordan ranked first in on-base percentage and wOBA (.422), second in OPS (.928), third in batting average, strikeout rate (10.8 percent), and wRC+ (166), seventh in slugging percentage, 14th in swinging-strike rate (8.1 percent), 19th in isolated power (.193), 20th in walk rate (12.5 percent), and 22nd in line-drive rate (25.8 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Jordan unsurprisingly split his playing time on the dirt between the two corner infield spots with Portland this year. The 6-foot, 220-pounder made 28 starts (238 2/3 innings) at first base and 14 starts (114 1/3 innings) at third base without committing an error in 222 total defensive chances. He also made two starts at DH.

Originally selected in the third round (89th overall) of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of DeSoto Central High School, Jordan began his professional career when he forwent his commitment to Mississippi State and signed with the Red Sox for an over-slot $1.75 million. The Southaven, Miss., native has dealt with plenty of adversity both on and off the field since then, but is now in the process of putting together the kind of season that should help him get back on the prospect map.

Though he is not regarded among the organization’s top prospects by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline, Jordan is currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 38 prospect in Boston’s farm system. Adding on to that, Jordan — who does not turn 23 until December — can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

Relatively speaking, that deadline is a long way away. Still, the Red Sox will almost surely use this promotion as an opportunity to further evaluate Jordan and determine if he is worthy of a 40-man roster spot this winter. Based on the club’s willingness to deal from its pool of Rule 5-eligible prospects in the past, it also would not come as a shock if Jordan were moved before this summer’s trade deadline.

Putting that aside for the time being, Jordan is slated to join a corner infield mix in Worcester that currently includes the likes of Nathan Hickey, Vaughn Grissom, Ryan Noda, and Nick Sogard. The WooSox open a six-game series against the Rochester Red Wings at Polar Park on Tuesday night.

(Picture of Blaze Jordan: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote OF prospect Jhostynxon Garcia to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Garcia is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The 22-year-old was added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster last November to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft. As a result, he took part in his first major league spring training before breaking camp with Portland (where he appeared in 30 games in 2024) last month.

To open the 2025 season, the right-handed hitting Garcia batted .256/.355/.393 with five doubles, one triple, three home runs, 17 RBIs, 19 runs scored, four stolen bases, 18 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 33 games (138 plate appearances) for Portland. His 13 percent walk rate ranks 18th among qualified hitters in the Eastern League, while his 21 percent strikeout rate ranks 23rd, per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

On the other side of the ball, Garcia saw the lion’s share of his playing time with Portland this season come in center field. The 6-foot, 215-pounder made 31 starts and logged 258 2/3 innings in center for the Sea Dogs, committing just one error and recording three assists in 52 defensive chances. He also made one start in right field and one start at DH.

Aptly nicknamed “The Password” because of his hard-to-spell first name, Garcia originally signed with the Red Sox for $350,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. The San Fernando de Apure native steadily climbed the organizational ladder to begin his professional career before breaking out and rising through three minor-league levels last season to earn a spot on Boston’s 40-man roster. He is the older brother of catching prospect Johanfran Garcia.

Garcia, who does not turn 23 until December, told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith (through interpreter Daveson Perez) earlier this spring that one of his goals for this season was “to have at least a couple of games toward the end of the year in the big leagues.”

With his Triple-A debut likely to come in Worcester’s series opener against Durham at Polar Park on Tuesday, Garcia is one step closer to reaching that goal.

(Picture of Jhostynxon Garcia: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Tyler Uberstine to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Tyler Uberstine from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Uberstine, who turns 26 next month, opened the 2025 season in Portland’s starting rotation. The right-hander posted a 3.64 ERA (2.60 FIP) with a staff-leading 35 strikeouts to just four walks in six starts (29 2/3 innings) for the Sea Dogs. Opposing hitters batted .241 against him.

Among 30 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League coming into play on Thursday, Uberstine ranked second in walk rate (3.3 percent), third in walks per nine innings (1.21) and FIP, sixth in xFIP (2.90), seventh in strikeouts per nine innings (10.62) and WHIP (1.04), eighth in strikeout rate (29.2 percent), 11th in swinging-strike rate (12.6 percent), 12th in line-drive rate (20.8 percent), and 13th in groundball rate (42.9 percent), per FanGraphs.

A southern California native, Uberstine did not receive any scholarship offers out of Chaminade Prep in 2017, leading him to join the club baseball team after enrolling at USC. He attempted to walk on with the Trojans as a sophomore but was cut before the start of the season. That prompted him to seek out assistance from ex-big-leaguer Joe Biemel, who helped Uberstine refine his mechanics and add velocity to his repertoire.

Uberstine transferred to Northwestern for the final two seasons of his collegiate career and pitched for the Williamsport Crosscutters in the 2021 MLB Draft League. The righty was then selected by the Red Sox in the 19th round (556th overall) of that summer’s draft and signed for an under-slot $97,500 before making his professional debut in the Florida Complex League. He split the 2022 campaign between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville but suffered an elbow injury the following spring that ultimately required June Tommy John surgery. As such, he missed all of 2023 and did not return to the mound until last August.

After making three short starts for Greenville, in which he allowed one earned run in 4 2/3 innings, Uberstine received an invite to pitch in the 2024 Arizona Fall League. He then forged a 3.12 ERA with seven strikeouts to six walks in seven appearances (8 2/3 innings) for the Mesa Solar Sox to end his year on an encouraging note.

“It was pretty surreal,” Uberstine told MLB.com’s Jesse Borek in Arizona last November. “They threw me out in Greenville again, where I played in ‘22, and then I was like, ‘Hopefully I can get a couple more innings. The quality would be great.’ [The Fall League] is where the best players come, and when they called me in the office and mentioned it, it was just a huge moment.

“I was like, ‘Dang, I went from not playing baseball to playing in the Draft League and here I am now playing in the Fall League,’” Uberstine added. “Just having these opportunities to learn from so many people, players, coaches, it’s just a huge honor.”

Fast forward to the present, and Uberstine is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 56 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 30th among pitchers in the organization. To this point in the season, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound hurler has sat between 91-94 mph and reached 95 mph with his fastball. He has also featured an 86-89 mph cutter, an 81-84 mph slider, and an 84-86 mph changeup, according to SoxProspects.com director of scouting Ian Cundall.

Having last pitched on May 10, Uberstine is expected to make his Triple-A debut by getting the start for the WooSox in the penultimate game of their series on the road against the Buffalo Bisons this coming Saturday. He is another minor-leaguer who can become Rule 5-eligible this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November protection deadline, so that could be something to keep in mind when evaluating his performance moving forward.

(Picture of Tyler Uberstine: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Marcelo Mayer named International League Player of the Week

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer has been named the International League Player of the Week for the week of April 21-27, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Mayer put together an impressive week at the plate in Worcester’s series against the Syracuse Mets at Polar Park. Appearing in six games, the left-handed hitting 22-year-old went 9-for-20 (.450) with three doubles, three home runs, 12 RBIs, seven runs scored, three walks, and four strikeouts. He crushed a 401-foot homer on Tuesday, a 445-foot homer on Wednesday, and a 419-foot homer on Sunday.

After getting his first season at the Triple-A level off to a relatively slow start, Mayer has been on an offensive tear as of late and is now batting .280/.324/.548 with four doubles, seven home runs, an International League-leading 34 RBIs, 17 runs scored, one stolen base, seven walks, and 20 strikeouts through 23 games (102 plate appearances) for the WooSox thus far.

Among 134 qualified hitters in the International League, Mayer ranks 10th in slugging percentage, 12th in isolated power (.269), 23rd in OPS (.872), 35th in wOBA (.376), 37th in wRC+ (125), 41st in strikeout rate (19.6 percent), 43rd in swinging-strike rate (9.9 percent), 46th in batting average, and 58th in line-drive rate (25.3 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Mayer has added to his defensive profile by seeing playing time at three different positions to this point in the season. In addition to logging 135 innings at shortstop, the 6-foot-3, 188-pound infielder has made three starts at second base (a first for him professionally) and three starts at third base. Between those three spots, he has committed two errors in 75 total chances. He has also made one start at DH.

Mayer, the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft coming out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, Calif., is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 12 prospect in the sport. Shortly after making his second straight trip to the All-Star Futures Game last summer, he was promoted from Double-A Portland to Worcester for the first time in mid-August. Due to a lumbar strain in his lower back, however, he did not appear in a game for the WooSox and instead spent the remainder of the 2024 campaign on the injured list.

After standing out at his first big league camp in Fort Myers this spring, Mayer has seemingly carried over that momentum into the early stages of the season with Worcester and is showing how impactful he can be when healthy. As MassLive.com’s Katie Morrison-O’Day recently highlighted, the Red Sox are prioritizing durability when it comes to Mayer’s remaining development.

“Number one with Marcelo is his health. We want to see him withstand the ups and downs of the season from a health standpoint,” WooSox hitting coach Doug Clark told Morrison-O’Day. “And that’s not only physically, but mentally. These kids are not 30 years old. They’re very young, and they’re very susceptible to ups and downs and how they deal with them. And that’s where we come into play as coaches…but that’s something that he does well already.”

Mayer, who does not turn 23 until December, is undoubtedly on the cusp of being called up for his major league debut. Though he is currently blocked at shortstop by Trevor Story, at second base by Kristian Campbell, and at third base by Alex Bregman, Mayer — much like top outfield prospect Roman Anthony — could force the issue for the Red Sox if he continues to produce the way he has in recent weeks.

“He’s a tremendous talent,” Clark said of Mayer. “We can’t wait for him to get what he deserves, and that’s to be a champion up there with Boston.”

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote Rule 5 addition Jack Anderson to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox promoted right-hander Jack Anderson from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester on Friday, as was first reported by Beyond the Monster’s Andrew Parker.

Anderson opened his first season in the Red Sox organization with Portland as a member of the Sea Dogs’ bullpen. The 25-year-old appeared in two games for Boston’s Eastern League affiliate out of the gate, allowing one unearned run on four hits, zero walks, and 10 strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings of relief.

A former 16th-round draft pick of the Tigers coming out of Florida State in 2021, Anderson switched organizations for the first time in his professional career over the winter when the Red Sox plucked him in the minor-league phase of December’s Rule 5 Draft.

Anderson appeared in three Grapefruit League games for Boston as a minor-league call-up this spring, yielding two earned runs on seven hits, one walk, and five strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings. He also retired the lone batter he faced (former Red Sox farmhand Esteban Quiroz) in the club’s exhibition finale against the Sultanes de Monterrey in Mexico on March 25.

In that particular outing, which only required five pitches (four strikes), Anderson threw three four-seam fastballs, one cutter, and one slider, per Baseball Savant. Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot, the 6-foot-3, 197-pound righty reached 91.6 mph with his heater, 84.6 mph with his cutter, and 80.1 mph with his slider.

Anderson, who does not turn 26 until November, has previous experience at the Triple-A level. The Florida native appeared in eight games (made one start) for Detroit’s top affiliate last season and posted a 5.82 ERA (4.98 FIP) with 10 strikeouts to six walks over 17 innings with the Toledo Mud Hens.

With the WooSox, Anderson seems likely to join a righty-heavy bullpen mix that consists of Luis Guerrero (on the 40-man roster), Bryan Mata, Nick Burdi, Isaiah Campbell, Jose Adames, Wyatt Mills, Jacob Webb, and lefty Brendan Cellucci. Hobie Harris, who was also taken in the minor-league phase of December’s Rule 5 Draft, is currently on Worcester’s 7-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.

(Picture of Jack Anderson: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer provides update on lower back injury that cut his 2024 season short

After missing the final two months of the 2024 season with a lumbar strain in his lower back, top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer provided an update on his health in a recent conversation with MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam.

“I’m really good,” Mayer told McAdam. “Lower back’s great. I’ve been cleared for a while now, so I’ve been progressing swinging-wise, doing my stuff and working hard in the weight room, doing whatever I can to get my body in the best position for this upcoming season.”

As noted by McAdam, Mayer has not done much in terms of hitting so far this winter, though that will likely change soon.

“I’m still ramping up,” Mayer said. “But as far as that goes, my swing feels phenomenal right now. It feels like I haven’t missed a beat, which is weird because usually when I take a week off, I feel extremely rusty. But I took like two months off and I feel great right now. I’ll be ready to (be a full-go for the start of spring training).”

Mayer, the No. 10 prospect in Baseball America’s top 100 rankings, saw his season cut short by injury for a second straight year over the summer. The recently-turned 22-year-old was limited to 78 games between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland in 2023 due to a lingering left shoulder impingement that ultimately shut him down that August.

Mayer broke camp with Portland this past spring and was putting together a stellar season at the plate through late July. The left-handed hitter netted 2024 Eastern League Post-Season All-Star honors by batting .307/.370/.480 with 28 doubles, eight home runs, 38 RBIs, 60 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 30 walks, and 66 strikeouts in 77 games (335 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

On the other side of the ball, Mayer drew encouraging reviews for his defensive ability at shortstop, where he started 65 games and committed 10 errors in 212 chances with Portland this year. The 6-foot-3, 188-pound infielder also made exactly one start at third base for the second season in a row.

In the weeks following his second straight trip to the All-Star Futures Game, Mayer hit a snag. He was placed on Portland’s injured list on August 1, two days after leaving a game early with what was initially described as lower back and upper glute muscle soreness. Since the issue was deemed minor, the Red Sox proceeded to activate and then promote Mayer to Triple-A Worcester on August 12 with the expectation that he would quickly find his way into the lineup.

The soreness in Mayer’s back, however, persisted. Further medical evaluation, including an MRI, led to the diagnosis of a lumbar strain. Rather than act aggressively, the Red Sox ended Mayer’s season before he could even notch his first Triple-A at-bat by placing him on Worcester’s injured list on August 20 and sending him to extended spring training in Fort Myers, Fla. so he could focus on his rehab.

“Extremely frustrating. As a player, of course you don’t want to get injured,” said Mayer. “I work extremely hard while I play to try to prevent injury. I think I’ve just been unlucky these past couple of years. I don’t think it’s something that happened because I didn’t do that or didn’t do this. I fell (resulting in the shoulder injury), something I can’t control. And the other one, I just had a little back problem.

“It’s obviously not ideal, but that’s the situation I’ve been put in and all I can do now is work my ass off (to rehab),” he continued. “I went down to Florida (in the fall) for a month, worked with the trainers there, did workouts, did some core stuff. They sent me home and I continued that training, and I’m pretty much a full-go right now. I’ll start hitting around the new year, which is more than enough time for me. You don’t need to be hitting all off-season.”

Originally selected by Boston with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Eastlake High School (Chula Vista, Calif.), Mayer — barring a trade or other surprise move — is expected to open the 2025 campaign at Worcester. If he can stay on the field and quell any concerns about his durability, he should be able to put himself in a position to make his major league debut before the season draws to a close.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)