Boston Red Sox
Mayer underwent wrist surgery in August.
The Red Sox are in the playoffs, and if they play deep enough into October, they might get some reinforcements.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora didn’t seem to rule out a possible return for Marcelo Mayer this season when he provided an update on the infielder’s rehab.
“I mean, I bet he’s pushing,” Cora told reporters when asked if Mayer could return to the team in the postseason.
Mayer suffered a wrist injury in July, seeking multiple methods to rehab the injury before undergoing surgery in August. At the time of the surgery, it was announced that Mayer would be expected to miss three months, seemingly ending his season.
However, Mayer has been doing some baseball work in recent days. He began to play catch again last week and fielded ground balls on Friday.
Mayer’s also been doing some work at the plate.
“I actually talked to him, he feels really good. I think he took dry swings yesterday for the first time,” Cora said. “He’s been working hard throughout the process with [strength coach Kiyoshi Momose] and the trainers and that’s a great first step.”
While Mayer is making positive steps in his rehab, it might be a little much for the Red Sox to rely on his return. On top of the injury timetable, Mayer was inconsistent at the plate in his first big league season. He hit just .228 with a .674 OPS, four home runs, and 10 RBIs in 44 games, although did provide some strong defense at second and third base.
Of course, the player that the Red Sox are definitely hoping to get back in the postseason is Roman Anthony. Cora didn’t have much of an update to provide on Anthony on Friday, but he said that he’s progressed from using a treadmill to power walking.
Both Mayer and Anthony were with the Red Sox when they clinched a spot in the postseason on Friday.
“I’m doing everything I can to get back out there and hopefully play as soon as I can,” Anthony told NESN’s Alanna Rizzo. “Right now, my job is to be the best cheerleader I can possibly be and just come here and support these guys. I’m so happy for every single person on this work, we earned it.”
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