Red Sox top prospect remains out of the WooSox lineup with ‘lingering tightness’
Red Sox fans will need to wait at least another day before seeing Marcelo Mayer make his Triple-A Worcester debut.
Mayer remains out of the lineup ahead of the WooSox game on Saturday afternoon at Polar Park. The 21-year-old has been dealing with lower back inflammation, and the team is waiting until he is 100% before he returns to playing every day.
WooSox skipper Chad Tracy told reporters before the game that Mayer was still dealing with “lingering tightness.”
"He's gonna play eventually, but we're gonna make sure we try to do it the right way and not put him out there when he's got soreness or discomfort. Maybe tomorrow, but it might be next week in Norfolk. We're just gonna do it the right way,” said Tracy.
On Wednesday, Mayer took batting practice on the field and took additional swings in the batting cage this week. The Calif. native took grounders at shortstop on Thursday and ran the bases at full speed on Friday afternoon.
“I’m getting close,” Mayer told Tommy Cassell of the Worcester T&G on Wednesday. “That’s as best as I’ve felt since (I last played). So, yeah, I’m excited.”
The last time that Mayer played in a game was on July 30, when he was with the Portland Sea Dogs. He was placed on the 7-day injured list the following day with soreness in his back, hip, and upper glute.
Mayer looked good in the field on Thursday while fielding grounders. He acknowledged he was a little rusty, but that’s expected with the amount of time he’s missed over the last few weeks.
“It was awesome to see him out there,” Tracy said. “He looked good. He said he felt a little rusty, but I said, ‘You look great.’ Like arm strength was there, ball was carrying, and tomorrow’s Friday, so I’m hoping, knock on wood, that we’ll see him this weekend.”
Mayer is anxious to make his Triple-A debut, and he is doing all the things the team and the medical staff are looking for as he aims to get into the lineup on Sunday afternoon. If Mayer plays in the series finale against the IronPigs, Tracy will pencil in the top prospect as the designated hitter.
“The big thing right now is to get on the field and start playing,” Mayer said. “But I think when I start playing, I just want to continue what I’ve been doing all year; I think I’ve been really consistent. So obviously, this is a new level, new challenges to be had and to be dealt with. But it’s good to be healthy again.”
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