The Boston Red Sox cannot afford to lose Alex Bregman for long, if at all.
The third baseman left Friday’s game with right quad tightness. Bregman and manager Alex Cora did not sound seriously concerned after the game, so if the star does miss time, Boston hopes its minimal.
Regardless, the Red Sox have emergency plans at third base, but those cannot be the answer for more than a day or two. The answer to fill in for Bregman, and eventually carve out a big-league lineup spot of his own, needs to be Marcelo Mayer.
His talent speaks for itself. There’s nothing else him and Roman Anthony could possibly prove down in Triple-A Worcester. Additionally for Mayer, there’s a reason versatility has been an extra priority this season for the 2021 first-round pick.
Mayer continues to move around the infield in Worcester and continues to hit in the process. He launched his eighth home run of the season Friday and leads the International League in RBIs. His numbers may not be as eye-popping as Anthony’s, but that gap isn’t Mayer’s loss.
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The Red Sox offense put up numbers so far this season, but there’s been major peaks and valleys to put it lightly. Bregman’s bat, which turned him back into an MVP candidate, brought the stable consistency to that group and his value is endless for this current brand of Red Sox baseball.
Bregman likely won’t miss much time, if at all, but his exit Friday is a reminder that Mayer must stay ready for the call. Or maybe more importantly, the Red Sox need to be timely in finally giving Mayer the shot he’s earned.
