Marcelo Mayer News: Opening season in minors

The Red Sox plan to assign Mayer to Triple-A Worcester prior to Thursday's season opener versus the Rangers, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reports.

Though manager Alex Cora didn't dismiss the possibility of Mayer breaking camp with the big club even in the latter stages of spring training, the 22-year-old infielder always appeared likely to begin the season at Triple-A. Mayer will be joined at Worcester by another elite prospect in outfielder Roman Anthony, while second baseman Kristian Campbell will be the first of the Red Sox's "Big Three" prospects to reach the big leagues. Though Mayer impressed with a .983 OPS in Grapefruit League play, the Red Sox will likely want the shortstop to find some success at the Triple-A level early on in the season before giving him the call to the majors. Mayer could also get some more exposure to second base and third base at Worcester in an effort to increase his versatility and potentially expedite his arrival to the majors.