Boston's Mayer to miss rest of Portland season

ST. PETERSBURG -- Boston’s top prospect Marcelo Mayer -- ranked No. 11 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 -- won’t play again this season for Double-A Portland, Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham told MLB.com on Wednesday.

Mayer was placed on the 7-day injured list on Aug. 5, retroactive to Aug. 3, due to left shoulder inflammation.

The Sea Dogs play their season finale on Sept. 17.

“Marcelo will not play again this year in Portland. He will focus on his rehab in Fort Myers, strengthening his shoulder, so he can have a full, normal offseason,” Abraham said. “We are very pleased with the progress he has made so far.”

The left-handed-hitting Mayer got off to a strong start at High-A Greenville this season, slashing .290/.366/.524 with seven homers and 34 RBIs in 35 games. That earned the 20-year-old a promotion to Portland on May 30.

Mayer struggled when he moved up a level, which isn’t surprising for a player who was drafted out of high school just two years ago. In 169 at-bats across 43 games before he was placed on the injured list, Mayer had a line of .189/.254/.355 with six homers and 20 RBIs.

This is the second consecutive season Mayer has been limited due to health issues. In 2022, he played in 91 games because of right wrist and back issues.

In an interview with MLB.com in March, Mayer, the fourth overall pick in the 2021 Draft, said his top goal this season was to avoid injuries.

“For sure, I'm a baseball player. This is what I love to do. And you know, when I'm not able to play, it hurts a little bit,” Mayer said.

There had been speculation prior to this season that Mayer could get promoted to the Red Sox as early as 2024. It remains to be seen how much his latest injury will affect his timetable.

“I mean, obviously the goal is to be a big leaguer,” Mayer said in March. “So every time you take the field, you want to strive to become a big leaguer. And that's always gonna be the goal. I want to be the best player I can be at everything.”

Though Mayer is done with Minor League games this season, he is expected to participate in Instructional League activities in Fort Myers this month.