Red Sox call up top prospect Marcelo Mayer after Alex Bregman injury

The Red Sox have their own Mr. May-er.

With third baseman Alex Bregman injured, the Red Sox are calling up top prospect Marcelo Mayer to make his MLB debut, according to multiple reports.

Mayer was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft, the No. 2 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 8 prospect in all of MLB, according to Baseball America.

Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer is getting called up to the big leagues for the first time. AFP via Getty Images

It’s the rival Yankees who have histories with a Mr. May (late owner George Steinbrenner’s derogatory nickname for Dave Winfield) and a Mr. Maier (Jeffrey Maier, the teenage fan who helped pull Derek Jeter’s home run over the fence during the 1996 ALCS).

The first clue that Mayer might be on his way to the majors came when he wasn’t in the lineup Saturday for Triple-A Worcester.

He came through the majors as a shortstop but could move to third base in place of Bregman if the Red Sox choose not to give the job back to unhappy designated hitter Rafael Devers.

How often does Mayer think about getting the call-up?

Boston Red Sox’s Alex Bregman bends over before leaving the game after injuring himself on a single against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader Friday, May 23, 2025, at Fenway Park in Boston. AP

“Every day,” Mayer told The Boston Globe earlier this week. “As a player, that’s something that I’ve thought about every single day since I was a little kid watching games on the television with my family, or going to Padres games. It’s just something that you work so hard for every single day, and you just hope that one day it’s going to come true.”

The top six picks in the 2021 draft have now all reached the majors: Henry Davis (Pirates), Jack Leiter (Rangers), Jackson Jobe (Tigers), Mayer, Colton Cowser (Orioles) and Jordan Lawlar (Diamondbacks).

Mayer’s ascent was slowed by injuries along the way.

Mayer was hitting .271 with a .347 on-base percentage and a .471 slugging percentage at Triple-A.

He could also steal some at-bats from struggling Trevor Story at shortstop.