Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer collects first big league hit Sunday afternoon

Image courtesy of Getty Images

The Red Sox promoted top infield prospect Marcelo Mayer from Triple-A Worcester on Saturday afternoon. Boston added the infielder after losing third baseman Alex Bregman to a significant right quad injury. He will land on the 10-day injured list.

In his first big league game, Mayer went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, starting at third base in the Sox’ second game of the doubleheader against the Orioles at Fenway Park.

He swiftly put his first game behind him and achieved his first Major League hit in his second game, slapping a hard-hit ball into left field.

• Watch Mayer’s first big league single here.

In his first game, Mayer wore the bright yellow Nike City Connect jersey and quickly got involved in the game, fielding a grounder off the bat from the Orioles’ Ramón Urías, who threw the ball across the diamond to a familiar face, former WooSox teammate Nick Sogard at first base.

“My job here is to do whatever I can to help the team win,” he said. “I’m going to go out every single day and give it 100%, give it my all, and then hopefully that’s enough.

In the second inning, 34,604 fans erupted and gave Mayer a standing ovation. Mayer stepped into the batter’s box, looking calm and cool, staring back at Orioles southpaw Trevor Rogers, notably chewing gum as he waited for the first pitch. The first pitch he saw as a big leaguer was a 92.5 mph sinker down and away. He would take the next two pitches, all thrown away, still looking calm and collected, but Rogers would win the battle. Rogers threw three straight pitches over the heart of the plate, not offering to any of the pitches, striking out looking.

“It’s awesome to play for a city like this that cares so much about their team and is so passionate about the Red Sox and the Red Sox winning,” he added of the Fenway Faithful. “It kind of holds everybody to a higher level of play, and it’s something that I’m looking forward to playing for.”