Red Sox Tab Marcelo Mayer as Starting Second Baseman for Opening Day

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced that 23-year-old Marcelo Mayer will start at second base on Opening Day, marking his first opening roster spot. Mayer bounced back from wrist surgery that cut short his 2025 rookie season after just 44 games.

The Boston Red Sox have selected Marcelo Mayer as their starting second baseman for the upcoming season opener, marking the first time the 23-year-old will begin a campaign on the major league roster after recovering from a challenging rookie year cut short by injury.

Red Sox skipper Alex Cora announced the decision on Saturday prior to their spring training matchup with the Atlanta Braves, praising Mayer’s dedication during the offseason recovery period.

“Yeah, Marcelo is going to be our second baseman,” Cora told reporters before Saturday’s Grapefruit League game against the Atlanta Braves. “I talked to him today. He did an amazing job in the offseason. Like I told him, he’s always been a good player, but he actually did an amazing job putting himself in the conversation to play in October last year after the surgery.”

Mayer’s 2025 debut season was hampered by injury, limiting him to just 44 appearances where he managed a .228 batting average alongside four home runs and 10 RBIs before requiring wrist surgery in August that ended his year early.

The young infielder expressed gratitude for earning the position while acknowledging the work required to secure it.

“It means a lot,” Mayer said. “Obviously, that was the goal coming into camp. (Cora) made it well known that the spot wasn’t given to me, so I worked hard, and I’m really happy with the outcome. I’m excited about the team.”

Originally a shortstop by trade, Mayer split time between third base (39 games) and second base (eight games) during his rookie campaign. The 2021 first-round draft selection will now partner with experienced shortstop Trevor Story to anchor Boston’s middle infield.

Mayer spoke positively about the opportunity to work closely with the veteran All-Star.

“I love it,” Mayer said of playing alongside the two-time All-Star. “Trevor is an amazing teammate, an amazing person. So for us to be able to work together, understand each other a little bit more, it’s gonna be nice.”

The decision means Kristian Campbell, who held the second base job on last season’s Opening Day roster, was reassigned to the minor leagues on Saturday after spending much of spring training working in center field. Campbell, also 23, earned American League Rookie of the Month honors last April but was later sent down to Triple-A and never returned to Boston, finishing with a .223 average, six homers, and 21 RBIs across 67 games.

Despite signing a substantial eight-year, $60 million deal last April, Campbell struggled during spring preparation, posting a .220 batting average with one home run and four RBIs over 46 plate appearances.

Cora explained the frank conversation he had with Campbell about returning to the majors.

“‘You’ve got to go back to the big leagues. Just got to play better,'” Cora told Campbell. “There’s a few things that he did in camp and he didn’t do in camp. And obviously, in camp, he didn’t walk as often. He struck out a lot, right? So that’s not him. We just have to keep working together. But at the end, he said, ‘It’s up to me. It’s up to me to get back here.’ And we will help him.”