Red Sox Dealt Tough Marcelo Mayer Blow Before Blue Jays Series

The Boston Red Sox will look to snap a five-game losing streak when they return to action against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night. Before the Red Sox took the field, though, they made an announcement involving Marcelo Mayer.

Boston announced it placed Mayer on the bereavement list ahead of the series opener against the Blue Jays.

“The Red Sox today placed INF Marcelo Mayer on the Bereavement List. To fill his spot, Boston recalled INF/OF Nick Sogard from Triple-A Worcester,” the Red Sox wrote on X.

It’s unclear how long Mayer will be out for, but it is worth noting a player can spend up to three days on the bereavement list, meaning Mayer could miss the entire series against Toronto.

One of Boston’s “big-three” prospects, Mayer was promoted to the majors back in May when Alex Bregman was forced to the injured list with a quad injury. In his first taste of the pros, Mayer is hitting just .206, but has four home runs and seven RBIs.

Perhaps more importantly, Mayer has filled in at third base in Bregman’s absence, while also spending time at second base and his preferred position of shortstop.

In a corresponding move, Sogard was called back up to the big leagues. In 14 games with the Sox this season, Sogard is hitting .245 with no homers and two RBIs. He’s slated to play third base and bat ninth Friday night.

The hits keep coming for the Red Sox, but they are still in the thick of the American League wild card race, even though their 40-42 record is below .500. First pitch for their clash with the Blue Jays is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.