Red Sox Repeat Possible New Infield Alignment Following Brewers Trade

Red Sox infielder Caleb Durbin took part in drills at third base on Friday in the wake of the recent trade between Boston and the Milwaukee Brewers.

Marcelo Mayer, meanwhile, practiced at second base.

The Red Sox continued that same infield alignment on Sunday, potentially hinting at where the duo will line up come Opening Day.

“In infield drills today, Mayer is at second and Durbin at third, which is where they were the other day as well,” Red Sox beat reporter Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic posted on Bluesky.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow discussed Mayer’s role on the team following the trade with the Brewers, saying that the 23-year-old needs to show the team “what he’s capable of” and adding “he’s got a ton of potential, absolutely, to be an everyday player.”

Boston has two-time All-Star Trevor Story returning to start at shortstop and new acquisition Willson Contreras expected to serve as the primary first baseman.

That leaves Durbin and Mayer as the most likely candidates to fill out the rest of the infield.

The former had 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases with a .256/.334/.387 slash line across 136 games last season, finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting and appearing in 131 contests at the hot corner.

Mayer recorded four home runs and 10 RBIs with a .228/.272/.402 triple slash in 44 games in 2025, including 39 at third base.

He suffered a wrist sprain on July 23 and underwent surgery in August.