The Boston Red Sox entered 2026 with cautious optimism, and even in a crowded American League East division, they believed they could compete for a spot in the post-season with a roster full of young talent and some experienced veterans. With the All-Star break approaching, the Red Sox are 14.5 games back in the division race, and while they’re just 5 back in the Wild Card chase, they will need some immense luck to turn things around after their horrendous start to the year.
Unfortunately, it’s been bad news after bad news for the team thus far, and with the Red Sox sitting at 33-46 on the season and in last place in the division, they’ve now been dealt yet another major injury blow.
Marcelo Mayer Heads to the Injured List
GettyMarcelo Mayer of the Boston Red Sox.
Already in 2026, the Red Sox have been without Patrick Sandoval, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Tristan Casas, Trevor Story, Roman Anthony and the biggest of all, Garrett Crochet for significant stretches. On the mound, the team have managed to absorb the injury blows to remain highly competitive, but thus far, the lineup just hasn’t recovered, and now they’ll have to deal with another major absence.
On Friday, it was reported that young Marcelo Mayer will be heading to the Injured List to join that extensive list as he deals with a right forearm issue, which is seemingly the same one that teammate Isaiah Kiner-Falefa is also dealing with.
As noted by reporter Rob Bradford, the injury has hampered Mayer in the box significantly more than in the field, and given that he has just 10 hits in 16 games during the month of June, it’s clearly something that’s significantly bothering him.
Marcelo Mayer Shaping up as a Star for the Boston Red Sox
A former first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox back in 2021, Mayer got his first extended shot at the big league level in 2025, and while he wasn’t absolutely dominant, a .228 average to go along with 4 home runs and 10 RBI in just 44 games showed that he had potential at the next level. In 2026, he backed it up with some impressive performances early, as he’s now hitting .220 with 3 home runs, 22 RBI and a .594 OPS, the type of up-and-down season that someone would expect in their second year.
Unfortunately, the Red Sox haven’t been consistent around the versatile infielder, and for a player at just 22-years-old, too much responsibility on their shoulders can often hinder performance and progress in the majors, and it appears as though that may be weighing on him through the first 70 games of the season.
Obviously, it’s not a good thing for a young player to head to the IL, but now he’ll have time to compose himself and get out of the grind for a few days, but when he comes back, Red Sox fans will be hoping to see the version of Mayer they saw in 2025, rather than the up-and-down performances they’ve seen early in 2026.
Boston Red Sox Dealt Another Blow; Place Rising Star on Injured List