The Boston Red Sox are starting to find something under their new interim manager. Monday night at Rogers Centre, Ranger Suarez held Toronto hitless through five innings, struck out 10, and did not allow a run across eight innings of work against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Boston won 5-0. The Red Sox have now won three in a row for the first time this season.
The wins matter. So does what is happening around them. Chad Tracy, just days into his role as interim manager following the firing of Alex Cora on Saturday, is already making decisions about how to deploy his roster. Before Monday’s game, he addressed one of the more interesting roster questions in Boston right now.
Tracy Lays Out Mayer’s Path
Marcelo Mayer is not moving to shortstop just yet.
Tracy was asked about getting the young infielder opportunities against left-handed pitching, and his answer was direct. He wants to find those spots for Mayer, but the plan has a clear structure behind it.
“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. I’m going to let Marcelo settle in at second base for the time being,” Tracy said.
That line tells a clear story. Tracy is not closing the door on Mayer at shortstop permanently. He is managing a transition carefully, giving the young infielder the chance to get comfortable at second base before adding more complexity to his role. The left-handed pitching opportunities will come. The positional change will wait.
It is a measured approach from a manager who understands that developing a young player means managing his confidence as much as his at-bats.
GettyMarcelo Mayer swings during the Red Sox’s Opening Day 2026 game against the Cincinnati Reds, where he delivered a key performance off the bench.
What Mayer Has Done So Far for the Red Sox
The production has been there when given the chance.
Monday was a strong example. Mayer went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk, contributing Boston’s first runs of the night with a two-out hit in the fourth against Dylan Cease. Tracy highlighted that kind of production postgame, noting how two-out run producers change the feel of a game.
On the season, Mayer is hitting .243 across 25 games, with 7 RBI and 7 walks in 70 at-bats. What the batting line does not capture is how well he has handled the position defensively. He ranks in the 92nd percentile in outs above average at second base, a reflection of the range and instincts he has brought to a position he did not come through the system playing.
The left-handed pitching piece is the next frontier. Mayer has not started a single game against a lefty this season, with all 21 of his starts coming against right-handed pitching. Tracy made clear before Monday’s game that he wants to change that when the matchup is right. The at-bats will come. So will the development that follows them.
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 03: Marcelo Mayer #11 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with Ceddanne Rafaela #3 after hitting a two-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning of the home opener game at Fenway Park on April 03, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
Story Holds the Shortstop Job
Trevor Story is the shortstop, and Tracy made that clear.
Story went 0-for-4 Monday night and is hitting .191 through 28 games this season, a number that will need to climb. His 17 RBI suggest the production has arrived in spots even when the average has not. Tracy is giving him the runway to find his footing, and the Red Sox have invested in him at that position.
When Story needs a day, Andruw Monasterio gets the call at short rather than Mayer. Tracy’s comments made that depth chart clear. Mayer came through the system as a shortstop and has the tools to play there, but this is not the moment for that conversation.
For now the hierarchy is clear. Story at short. Monasterio as the backup. Mayer at second, getting comfortable, with left-handed matchups on the horizon.
Getty
Final Word for the Red Sox
Tracy has been on the job for two games. Both have been wins.
The decisions he is making around Mayer reflect the kind of patient roster management that young players need. Get him comfortable. Get him confident. Let the bigger role develop naturally.
Mayer did his part Monday. A two-out RBI hit against one of the better pitchers in the league is not nothing.
The path is there. He just has to keep walking it.
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