San Francisco Giants infielder Marcelo Mayer has removed his walking boot as he recovers from a right foot bone bruise. Acquired from the Boston Red Sox, the 23-year-old offers crucial middle infield relief as Willy Adames faces a late-season injury layoff.
The former top prospect was acquired by the Giants in a deal that sent left-handed reliever Erik Miller and minor leaguer Carlos Gutierrez to Boston. Since moving east, Miller has posted 10 2/3 scoreless innings with 18 strikeouts and three walks. Meanwhile, Mayer was sent to Triple-A Sacramento on a rehab assignment for a forearm stress reaction before suffering a foot setback.
During his four games with Sacramento, Mayer impressed by recording six hits in 17 at-bats, including a home run in his second plate appearance to generate a 1.009 OPS. But soreness prevented his planned debut against his former club. Detailing the setback, NBC Sports Bay Area reported: “Marcelo Mayer has been sidelined by a right foot bone bruise from a prior injury. He was sore while playing in Triple-A, so he’ll rest this weekend and then get reevaluated when the Giants return home. That’s why he didn’t end up back in Boston,”
Ahead of Friday night’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the San Francisco Chronicle reported: “Marcelo Mayer says the walking boot is totally off now, doesn’t need it when he’s doing non-baseball activity. Unclear what the timeframe is for him to make Giants debut but would think the hope is fairly soon,”
His eventual arrival is needed following a major injury to San Francisco’s regular shortstop. On the veteran’s condition, NBC Sports Bay Area reported: “Willy Adames got a second opinion on his left elbow, the plan is to rest and rehab and get a PRP injection. He’s expected to miss 3-4 weeks, which is basically the rest of the season,”
San Francisco has started Osleivis Basabe, Nate Furman, Christian Koss and Shay Whitcomb across the middle infield. None of those replacement options have demonstrated everyday stability. Mayer’s return off the injured list remains the primary hope to solidify the position down the stretch.
