BOSTON — Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer says he will have season-ending surgery on his right wrist.
The 22-year-old Mayer injured the wrist in late July. He got an injection to try to come back but decided to have surgery. He said he has a tear that hadn’t improved with the anti-inflammatory injection.
“I knew definitely that it was going to be on the table,” he said Sunday, sitting in the Red Sox dugout at Fenway Park before they faced the Miami Marlins in the series finale.
“As an athlete and somebody that loves this game so much, all I want to do is play and be out there every single day, especially when you’re in the big leagues and the playoffs are so important,” he said. “The way that my wrist is right now, there’s just no way to come back and play. It made the decision pretty easy to have the surgery.”
Drafted fourth overall in 2021, Mayer was called up in late May. A natural shortstop, he played mostly third base, batting .228 with four homers and 10 RBIs in 44 games.
“The shot wasn’t working. It’s a three-month recovery. He should be fine if everything goes well for spring training,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He’s a big part of the future of this organization. Just get him right, get him ready and see what happens in the future.”
Cora said he knew things weren’t going well after Mayer played catch on Thursday’s day off.
“He didn’t sound too positive about it. ‘My swing is not right,'” Cora said Mayer told him.
Mayer said he “gave it my all” but knew that surgery was the best option.
“Obviously with options given, I could have had surgery when I first injured it or get the shot,” he said. “I tried everything I could with the slight chance to come back and play.”
He also missed the final two months in the minors last season with a shoulder injury and didn’t play after July 31.