Red Sox will get a chance to see what Marcelo Mayer can do at shortstop

The Red Sox selected Marcelo Mayer with the fourth pick of the 2021 draft, their reward for suffering through the miserable 2020 pandemic season.

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“No one doubts Mayer will be able to stay at shortstop for a long time,” read the MLB.com scouting report at the time. “He has easy actions, plus hands and footwork, and an arm that plays.”

Mayer has played in 89 major league games since making his debut last year. Here’s how many he has started at shortstop: 0. In fact, Mayer has played only three innings at shortstop for the Sox since being called up, none since last May.

That will change as soon as Sunday, said interim manager Chad Tracy. With Trevor Story expected to miss at least 6-10 weeks recovering from surgery to correct a sports hernia, Mayer will finally get a chance to play the position he knows best.

It’s unfortunate that Story is having major surgery for the third time in his five seasons with the Sox. He’s one of the league leaders in not being able to catch a break.

But this situation is also an opportunity for both the Red Sox and Mayer.

Mayer has been a surprisingly poor hitter since being called up, posting an anemic .629 OPS with only four home runs and 20 RBIs in 286 plate appearances.

He’s only 23 and has yet to play a full season at the highest level. But if moving to his natural position doesn’t lead to better results at the plate, it’s fair to wonder if anything will.

To his credit, Mayer deflected questions about his situation by expressing concern for Story and saying he would play wherever.

“[Shortstop],that’s home to me. That’s where I played my whole life. That’s where I’m most comfortable,” he said before going 0 for 3 with an RBI in the Red Sox’ 8-6 loss to the Twins on Friday night. “But, like I said, if Trace wants me to play second, I’ll play second. If he wants me to play short, I’ll play short.”

I asked Mayer if going back to shortstop would help him at the plate.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I guess we’ll find out.”

This will be a big test for Mayer. For at least the better part of two months, he’ll get a chance to show the Sox that he deserved to be the fourth pick in the draft

Seeing Mayer at shortstop will offer the best feedback on where he fits best on the roster going forward. Is he a glove-first utility infielder or an everyday shortstop?

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The Sox also need him to produce as they try to claw their way back to .500 and make something of this season.

Mayer started working out at shortstop earlier this week in Kansas City when Story landed on the injured list. Tracy, who managed Mayer in Triple-A, clearly wants to give him the opportunity.

“I definitely think you’ll see more of him there,” he said. “Does that mean he’ll play there every single day? Maybe not. But we’re definitely going to explore that.”

Mayer played third base well when he filled in for an injured Alex Bregman last season, and has been an above-average defender at second base this season.

A good shortstop can usually play second or third well. Now we’ll see how Mayer looks at shortstop.

“He’s played it his whole life,” Tracy said. “That’s all he’s known coming up. He’s done it since he was a kid. This is more about let’s just make sure we get him enough reps to where he reacclimates himself.”

When Mayer was drafted, he flew to Denver the next day with some other first-round picks to see the All-Star Game at Coors Field. He met Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who started for the American League.

Bogaerts welcomed him to the team and joked that Mayer would have to change positions. Turns out he was right.

Not quite five years later, Bogaerts is playing for the Padres, and now Mayer will finally get his chance to play shortstop.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old shortstop Franklin Arias hit two more home runs for Double-A Portland on Friday night. He has 10 on the season and has soared up the prospect charts.

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For Mayer, the story of his career — no pun intended —is about to be written.