Marcelo Mayer Receives Anti-Inflammation Injection, Could Require Surgery

We could be right back to a major 2B issue.

The position has been jinxed since the Machado- Pedey incident.

A couple nice partial seasons by Story and Kike is the only times we've looked good at 2B since Pedey in 2017. This is year 8!

24 minutes ago, Nick said:

We are up 4 games on the Texas Rangers, who is next in line to join the party. They play the Yankees next, who should be pissed off after the debacle at Miami. 

One thing this season has done for me is that I have seen quite a few Sox players in the majors. We definitely have developed depth. Only problem is many of them are hurt and can't help us.

So Mayer maybe another casualty. Perhaps we'll see Grissom again. Oh well.....paddle on.

Agreed, and what is also amazing is how some of the players leading this team were considered "depth" before the season started:

Narvaez was our "back-up" catcher.

Romy was a 26 man bubble player.

Anthony, Mayer and Campbell were considered farm depth, until Campbell's surprise promotion. When Bregman went down, Mayer was called up a bit later.

Toro held down the 1B job for a while, along with Romy and a little from Sogard.

Our rotation depth has been put to the test and has passed, for the most part. One could argue our healthy 5 might have been Crochet, Houck, Buhler, Gio and Crawford (maybe Bello) with Sandoval at #7, Fitts & Priester 8 & 9, Criswell 10, and then Newcomb jumped over everyone to win a slot. Dobbins was maybe #12, depending on how you viewed Wink or even Whitlock as starters, 

Dobbins, Fitts and Criswell have done pretty well as deep depth starters.

The pen needs no explanation. Most of us were horrified at the lack of solid pen additions over the winter, and some of us figured the plan was to convert our SP'er depth to cover pen weaknesses, but that could never happen.

Our "all healthy 8" was likely expected to be Chapman, Hendriks, Slaten, Whitlock, Wilson, Weissert, Bernardino & maybe Wink, Kelly or a SP'er like Criswell. Slaten has missed over half the season and Hendriks more. Wink as well. Kelly, Guerrero and others have been hurt, but guys like Wilson, Murphy, Burdi and even Alcala for a bit stepped up when needed. Dobbins did okay, too, in relief. I can't say the depth of the pen has been great. It's been more about solid seasons from Chapman, Whitlock, Wilson & Weissert, but you can't be ranked a top 5 to 7 pen without the rest of the guys doing well enough.

We may see Harrison, May and Matz take on meaningful roles, before the season is over. Maybe Criswell can repeat his last start a few more times, or close to it.

It's taken 5 years to build up this depth. We hoarded depth, perhaps at the expense of making package deals for one guy or quick fix deadline rentals, but we are reaping the rewards, now.

23 minutes ago, Nick said:

I haven't even look at who the Rule 5 casualties will be this winter.  I would love to see Criswell pitch one more time. Ride the hot hand.

I don't think we'll have a Rule 5 crunch. We lose a lot of players, and not all need to be replaced in kind, such as Buehler, Matz, May and maybe Refsnyder, and guys like Alcala, Burdi, Kelly, Guerrero, I Campbell, Eaton, Sogard, Toro and maybe even Hicks & Wink could be let go or traded.

We only have 3-4 major additions needed:

Closer, SP, P, 1B

Our most known Rule 5's:

Sandlin, Bleis, Paez, Uberstine,  Mullins, Monegro (IL)

Hickey, Castro, I Coffey, Drohan, Dean, Rogers, Hoppe, Song

We may just protect Sandlin, Bleis & Unberstine. Maybe not Uber.

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

If they need a 2b called up, it'd be Sogard. I'd add Romero before I'd call up Grissom. He has a better approach at the plate and can field multiple positions. 

Cora had a lot of good things to say about Romero this spring.  A shortstop moving to second is a strength most of the time.  I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see him up soon.  

On 8/3/2025 at 5:42 PM, moonslav59 said:

We could be right back to a major 2B issue.

The position has been jinxed since the Machado- Pedey incident.

A couple nice partial seasons by Story and Kike is the only times we've looked good at 2B since Pedey in 2017. This is year 8!

I disagree.  Gonzalez is a gem.  Since Mayer went on the IL the Sox are 8-2.  Gonzalez OPS against righties is .703, almost as good as Mayer's .739, and his overall OPS is .897.   And that's why Cora/Breslow didn't bring up Grissom but went with Hamilton who is much better on defense and better on the base paths.  

I honestly think some combination of Breslow, Cora, the coaches, and the Sox farm system and trading have allowed the Sox to patch up all kinds of weaknesses. 

As you pointed out, the Sox rotation this season has been decimated by injuries, but the pitching staff is about as good as 2018's according to their team ERA.  Breslow decided to "trade" Devers because he refused to play 1b, and the Sox improved without his bat.  

23 minutes ago, cp176 said:

Cora had a lot of good things to say about Romero this spring.  A shortstop moving to second is a strength most of the time.  I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see him up soon.  

I would.  Soxprospects write-up is not impressed with Romero.  

On 8/3/2025 at 8:19 PM, moonslav59 said:

Agreed, and what is also amazing is how some of the players leading this team were considered "depth" before the season started:

Narvaez was our "back-up" catcher.

Romy was a 26 man bubble player.

Anthony, Mayer and Campbell were considered farm depth, until Campbell's surprise promotion. When Bregman went down, Mayer was called up a bit later.

Toro held down the 1B job for a while, along with Romy and a little from Sogard.

Our rotation depth has been put to the test and has passed, for the most part. One could argue our healthy 5 might have been Crochet, Houck, Buhler, Gio and Crawford (maybe Bello) with Sandoval at #7, Fitts & Priester 8 & 9, Criswell 10, and then Newcomb jumped over everyone to win a slot. Dobbins was maybe #12, depending on how you viewed Wink or even Whitlock as starters, 

Dobbins, Fitts and Criswell have done pretty well as deep depth starters.

The pen needs no explanation. Most of us were horrified at the lack of solid pen additions over the winter, and some of us figured the plan was to convert our SP'er depth to cover pen weaknesses, but that could never happen.

Our "all healthy 8" was likely expected to be Chapman, Hendriks, Slaten, Whitlock, Wilson, Weissert, Bernardino & maybe Wink, Kelly or a SP'er like Criswell. Slaten has missed over half the season and Hendriks more. Wink as well. Kelly, Guerrero and others have been hurt, but guys like Wilson, Murphy, Burdi and even Alcala for a bit stepped up when needed. Dobbins did okay, too, in relief. I can't say the depth of the pen has been great. It's been more about solid seasons from Chapman, Whitlock, Wilson & Weissert, but you can't be ranked a top 5 to 7 pen without the rest of the guys doing well enough.

We may see Harrison, May and Matz take on meaningful roles, before the season is over. Maybe Criswell can repeat his last start a few more times, or close to it.

It's taken 5 years to build up this depth. We hoarded depth, perhaps at the expense of making package deals for one guy or quick fix deadline rentals, but we are reaping the rewards, now.

Excellent laydown, especially the last para on hoarding depth.  Elsewhere, however, you have a pretty long list of things to fix. 

If you are saying no team can afford to stand pat--season to season--I agree.  

6 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

"Potential bat first utility player. Ceiling of a second division regular at second base." 

How dare they! If he comes up it's due to a lack of depth in the high minors because they are too pitching focused. 

As I said, I vastly prefer Gonzalez who is excelling where and when it counts.  And I'm fine with Hamilton--bad bat and all--as his backup.