Saturday began like any other day for Boston Red Sox infield prospect Marcelo Mayer as he was set to play for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox that evening.
That was, until the call came. Alex Bregman, Boston’s starting third baseman, was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right quad strain suffered in a game on Friday.
In his stead, Mayer was called up to take the drive 45 minutes across Interstate 90 from Polar Park to Fenway Park.
There was just one problem: Mayer couldn’t drive himself to Boston because he lost the keys to his car ‘like three weeks ago.’
So, hilarious images of Mayer jumping out of the back seat of a car with his glove circulated as the California native prepared for his first at-bats in the big leagues.
Mayer said that a clubhouse staff member was the one that drove him to Fenway.
Saturday was a day of big change for Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer as he made his debut
Earlier in the day, Mayer was in Worcester, 45 minutes away from Boston’s iconic Fenway Park
But Mayer lost his car keys ‘three weeks ago’ so he needed a staffer to drive him to Boston
He eventually arrived to Fenway, where he was greeted before his first hacks in the big leagues
The topsy-turvy day may have had an effect on Mayer at the plate as he went 0-for-4
On a big day for the Red Sox No. 2 prospect – and MLB’s No. 8 prospect – Mayer may have been a little jolted by the day’s turn of events.
He struggled at the plate in the second game of Boston’s doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles, going 0-for-4 in the Red Sox’s 2-1 loss.
But his first at-bat in the majors was met with resounding applause and a standing ovation from the Fenway faithful.
‘It was awesome,’ he said. ‘I’ve never experienced anything like that before in my life.
‘I actually just got done texting my friends and parents about that moment. That’s something I’ll remember the rest of my life.’
But he admitted that those big-league nerves may have gotten to him at the plate.
‘I felt like I tried to do too much with runners on base,’ Mayer said. ‘I feel like next time I’ve got to do a better job than that.’
He’ll get a chance at redemption on Sunday when the Red Sox battle the Orioles again in the fourth game of their Memorial Day Weekend series. Dean Kremer is set to take the mound for Baltimore while Boston turns to Walker Buehler.
