Red Sox rookie Marcelo Mayer shut down for third straight season; will undergo wrist surgery

Red Sox rookie Marcelo Mayer will undergo season-ending surgery on his right wrist due to a tear in his TFCC (triangular fibrocartilage complex), according to Alex Cora.

The recovery for Mayer is expected to be three months, and he should be ready for spring training next season.

Mayer received an anti-inflammatory injection in his injured wrist on Aug. 2, but it didn’t work the way both he and the Red Sox had hoped. He said that the shot “didn’t really do much,” and he had “a few good days and then kind of hit a wall.”

“I gave it my all,” Mayer said Sunday morning to reporters at Fenway Park ahead of the series finale with the Marlins. “Obviously with my options given, I could have had surgery when I first injured it or get the shot and try to do everything I can for the slight chance to come back and play. Obviously I’m really excited about what’s going on, and I want to help the team win. But it’s just the hand I’m dealt right now.”

Mayer landed on the injured list with his injury at the end of July, and it was initially described as a right wrist sprain. The injury occurred while the Sox were in Philadelphia; he was removed from the game in the fifth inning and was seen wearing a splint following the game. Initially, Mayer downplayed the situation.

“I just felt a little tight grab in my wrist when I took a swing in my second at-bat,” Mayer said back in July following his injury. “I knew I really couldn’t do anything after that, so I just called it (a game).”

“I don’t know right now,” he said. “I just iced it. It feels in some pain, but hopefully it’s not too serious, and I can get back on the field soon.”

That will not be the case, and Mayer will be shut down from baseball for a third straight season. He missed the final two months of the 2023 season with left shoulder inflammation. Last season, he was promoted to Triple-A Worcester with Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel but did not play in a game due to a lumbar injury, which ultimately cost him the second half of the season.

Mayer had the same wrist issue in 2022, but had a smaller tear of the TFCC and was given a cortisone shot.

The triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) connects the bones in your forearm with bones in your wrist. The area is made up of ligaments, tendons, and cartilage, which helps support and stabilize your wrist, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Other MLB players have had the same injury as Mayer, including Mets’ top prospect Jett Williams, former Yankees catcher Jose Trevino, and former big leaguer Cameron Maybin. 

“Usually when you get a cortisone, the injury comes back later on,” he said. “So I knew eventually I was going to need to do something with my wrist.”

He played catch at Fenway Park while the team was on the road last week. Mayer said he felt fine throwing from 60 feet but was unable to throw beyond that distance. He also complained of pain when he was taking dry swings.

“It sucks,” said Mayer. “For someone who loves this game so much, all I want to do is play, and I want to be out there every single day, especially in the big leagues when the playoffs are so important. I just have to get out there and keep working hard and try to come back strong.”

Mayer described his recent run of season-ending injuries as “frustrating.”

“I just want to be out there playing,” he said. “I do everything I can to put my body in the best position possible. Obviously, things like that happen in baseball. I’m just trying to stay optimistic and try to get after it this offseason.”

His latest injury is another roadblock for the 22-year-old, but he’s not worried about the injuries or what they mean for his career in the short term.

“I know the player I am. I believe in my ability 100 percent,” said Mayer, “so that’s not really something I’m worried about.”

Mayer said he overall had a “good season,” raking for Triple-A Worcester and ultimately earning a promotion to the majors following Alex Bregman’s right quad injury. While with the WooSox this season, he batted .271, with nine homers, five doubles, one triple, 43 RBI, 31 runs, and a .818 OPS in 43 games. He filled in admirably at third base while Bregman was on the shelf and also saw time at second base.

“I got to the big leagues; that’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing,” said Mayer. “Obviously there were a lot of goals that I wanted to achieve that I couldn’t with my season being cut short. But this team is super special, and I think we have a really good team to make a really good playoff run, which is all that matters. It’s all I really care about, and I’m going to be cheering them on the whole way.”

Cora gave his assessment of Mayer’s rookie season when asked by reporters this afternoon, calling it “incomplete.”

"A learning experience. You saw flashes of him offensively; defensively he’s a stud, baserunning-wise he’s great, and offensively he still has some learning to do, but with experience he was going to get better,” Cora said. “I’m happy he was part of this. He’s a big part of the future of the organization, so just get him right, get him ready, and we’ll see what happens in the future.”

The loss of Mayer for the rest of the season is a blow to the Red Sox’ infield depth. Boston has internal options to help them out if the situation should arise. Infielders Nick Sogard, David Hamilton, Nate Eaton, and Mikey Romero are in Worcester, able to help. Bregman has played at a high level over on the hot corner, and Ceddanne Rafaela has been playing some second base to allow Cora to have different lineup variations due to the team’s influx of outfielders.

“Obviously he’s a good player, a good defender, and was still learning at the big league level, but we’ve got some capable guys in the minor leagues in case something happens here,” Cora said.

Mayer should undergo surgery “as soon as possible” and is hoping for a normal offseason despite the wrist issue.

“That’s definitely the goal,” Mayer said. “That’s what I’m going to be working towards, but I should be full go by the middle of the offseason.”

Mayer plans to remain around his teammates for the rest of the season, cheering on the Sox as they push to play in October.