TORONTO — Red Sox second baseman Marcelo Mayer has not started a single game this season against a left-handed starting pitcher.
All 21 of the 23-year-old’s starts have come against right-handers. Mayer has just three plate appearances against lefties this season and so Cora almost always pinch hit for him against southpaw relievers.
Could that change with Cora gone and Chad Tracy now in charge as interim manager?
The Red Sox fired Cora on Saturday evening and promoted Tracy from Triple-A Worcester.
“I want to see Marcelo get some opportunities,” Tracy said before Monday’s game against the Blue Jays. “I’m not saying that tonight if something comes up and there’s a favorable matchup that we wouldn’t do that. I’m not saying that Marcelo is going to start against Tarik Skubal every time. But if there’s opportunities that we feel like we can give him a little bit more of that, we may do that.”
Mayer has gone 2 for 3 with a double against lefties this year.
He also has played all of his 171 ⅓ innings in the field at second base. He came through the system as a shortstop and has the potential to be a plus defender there.
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Cora wanted Mayer to focus primarily on second base this season. He made it clear he would not use Mayer at shortstop if shortstop Trevor Story wasn’t playing.
As of now, Tracy plans to play Andruw Monasterio at shortstop when Story is not playing.
“I think for right now Trev is our shortstop, and I think for right now, if he’s off, we’ll probably see Mona there,” Tracy said. “I’m going to let Marcelo settle in at second base for the time being.”
Mayer is just 15 for 67 (.224) with a .293 on-base percentage, .358 slugging percentage, .652 OPS, one home run, six doubles, six RBIs and six runs. He has six walks compared to 13 strikeouts.
He’s shown excellent range at second base, ranking in the 92nd percentile in outs above average (2).
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