Latest news with #Mayer
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox rookie still looking for answers on ‘super annoying' wrist injury, return timeline
BOSTON — Marcelo Mayer was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with a right wrist sprain, which he suffered during his second at-bat in Wednesday's dramatic win against the Phillies. Beyond that, he doesn't know much about the ailment — or how long he'll be out. Mayer had an MRI on Thursday, when the Red Sox were off. He knows he has a sprain and has his wrist in a brace but isn't sure if it's a severe case or when he'll be back. 'I know it's a wrist sprain,' Mayer said. 'The doctor is going to come in and have more conversations. I'll know more about it later today. 'I got an MRI yesterday, talked to the hand specialist. Still pretty early in the talking stages so not really too sure yet and can't really give you many answers.' Mayer did say his injury is not related to the hamate bone, the small hook-shaped bone on the lower outside edge of the hand that baseball players often break on swings. He does not believe anything is broken. Mayer's injury occurred in the fifth inning Wednesday when he was in the process of working a two-out walk that ended up being the start of Jesús Luzardo's wild woes before the Phillies lefty gave up a game-changing grand slam to Romy Gonzalez. 'It didn't feel good. I just took a swing,' Mayer said. 'I took a check-swing my first at-bat and felt my wrist. Didn't think much of it. Was able to throw the ball fine. My second at-bat, the second swing, I just felt my wrist lock up.' The Red Sox called up David Hamilton to fill Mayer's roster spot the bulk of playing time at second base will likely go to Ceddanne Rafaela (with Hamilton and the lefty-mashing Gonzalez mixing in as well). Mayer only has made seven starts at second since debuting in May but was expected to play there quite often with Alex Bregman now a full-go to play every day at third base. Mayer has had an up-and-down rookie campaign that, if the injury is serious enough, might be over. He hit .228 with four homers, eight doubles, 10 RBIs and a .674 (while sitting against most lefties) but was a solid contributor on defense at both second and third base. The 22-year-old couldn't help but show his frustration as he stood in the clubhouse before Friday's game. 'It's brutal,' said Mayer. 'This is not a spot I want to be in. I want to be out there playing, trying to help the team win. As an athlete, all we want to do is play and go out there and do what we do best. It's super frustrating.' Making things even more exasperating for Mayer is the fact he has seen seasons end prematurely before. After a sprain in the same wrist nagged at him on an on-and-off basis in his first pro season in 2022, Mayer played just 78 games in 2023 due to a left shoulder impingement and 77 in 2024 due to a lumbar strain. Last year, after being promoted to Triple-A on August 12, he didn't appear in a game for the WooSox as his back issues persisted. 'It's super annoying. There's really no way around it,' Mayer said. 'All I can do now is try to get better from it, keep working hard and try to get back on the field as soon as possible.' For now — with six days to go before Thursday's trade deadline — the Red Sox are still in information-gathering mode. "We'll see what happens,' said manager Alex Cora. 'He's obviously on the IL. A tough one, but we'll know more throughout the weekend and during the week and see what are the next steps." More Red Sox coverage Did Boston Red Sox righty rediscover most dominant pitch in 'OK' start? Red Sox hitter in season-long slump has faced 'challenges' beyond adjusting to new role As schedule gets more demanding, Red Sox' offense not answering the call Red Sox reactions: Opponent scores first for 6th time in 7 games, Boston drops opener How Red Sox trade deadline strategy might be impacted by Marcelo Mayer's injury | Chris Cotillo Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
As Red Sox await news on two key injured players; Justin Slaten takes ‘good first step'
MINNEAPOLIS — The Red Sox remain in fact-finding mode when it comes to two key injured players who are not with the club on its quick road trip to Minneapolis. Manager Alex Cora didn't have much in the way of updates on starter Tanner Houck (right flexor pronator strain) or Marcelo Mayer (right wrist sprain) but indications are that neither player is close to rejoining the major league roster. Both Houck and Mayer continue to seek opinions and get tests on their respective injuries, with Boston hoping to know more by the time the team returns home to face the Astros this weekend. 'With both cases, the more information we get during the week, the more clear we'll be on the weekend,' said Cora. If the Red Sox know more than they're sharing about either Houck or Mayer, they're not letting on, and there may be a reason for that ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. Ruling out either for a long stretch would decrease Boston's leverage as it tries to make deadline additions. For now, though, the club remains mum. Houck, who was pulled off his rehab assignment during the All-Star break after pitching five times in a three-week stretch for Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, has not resumed throwing and is getting more opinions on the arm issue, which first sent him to the injured list in mid-May. The issue, which Houck said started bothering him during spring training, re-appeared as he struggled to get outs in the minors. 'He was going to see a doctor to see how they feel about it,' Cora said. 'He hasn't played catch since we stopped him. We'll know more by Friday, I think.' Mayer injured his wrist Wednesday in Philadelphia and two days later was placed on the IL with a right wrist sprain. Red Sox decision-makers have been cagey about the severity of the injury in the days since but there doesn't seem to be a ton of optimism. Mayer said the injury does not involve the hamate bone and that he didn't break anything. But a baseball source said Tuesday — nearly a week after Mayer hurt himself on a swing — that the Red Sox won't know more until MRIs are reviewed and all options are discussed. Cora concurred. 'We're waiting on results of everything and obviously, the specialists will take a look at it,' the manager said. 'As of now, no baseball activities. He's still pretty sore.' Notably, it doesn't seem like surgery has been ruled out for either player. Slaten takes step Righty reliever Justin Slaten, who has been out since May 29 due to shoulder inflammation in his pitching arm, played catch from the mound Tuesday in Boston, marking the first time he has toed the rubber in about two months. Next up are real bullpen sessions for Slaten, whose recovery has been slower than expected. 'Slaten actually touched the rubber today,' Cora said. 'Played catch. He didn't throw a bullpen but he got on the rubber so that's good news. He felt good. I don't know how fast it's going to go from now on, but the fact he was able to do that with no red flags is a good first step.' Other injury updates Reliever Zack Kelly, out since June 30 with a right oblique strain, had his rehab assignment transferred from High-A Greenville to Triple-A Worcester and will pitch at Polar Park tonight. He could be in the mix for a call-up soon. Relievers Liam Hendriks (hernia-related issues) and Luis Guerrero (right elbow strain) are farther behind and just playing catch. Hendriks is in Boston and Guerrero is in Fort Myers. Right-handers Josh Winckowski (right elbow flexor strain) and Nick Burdi (right foot contusion) remain on the injured list, too. More Red Sox coverage Don't let the numbers fool you - Red Sox need bullpen help | Sean McAdam Red Sox turned 'awful' flight into new celebration: 'Embracing all the adversity' Red Sox reactions: Trevor Story lets Boston breathe with homer in bounce-back win Red Sox trade deadline: What we're hearing with two days to go Two top Red Sox pitching prospects involved in 'package deal'-fake trade Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox roster: Speedy infielder recalled to Boston with Marcelo Mayer headed for IL
BOSTON — With Marcelo Mayer placed on the injured list with a wrist injury, the Red Sox have summoned David Hamilton from Triple-A Worcester. Hamilton was scratched from Worcester's lineup before Game 1 of a doubleheader in St. Paul on Thursday and didn't play in Game 2. That's because he was flying to Boston, said a source familiar with the situation. According to the Red Sox, Mayer has a right wrist sprain. The severity of Mayer's injury, which caused him to leave Wednesday's win in the fifth inning, remains unknown. Mayer had an MRI on Thursday with the team off and is weighing a second opinion, according to a source. He was wearing a light brace after that game in Philadelphia and was photographed Thursday in Boston wearing a splint. A downcast Mayer was not upbeat about the situation. 'I just felt a little tight grab in my wrist when I took a swing in my second at-bat,' Mayer said. 'I knew I really couldn't do anything after that so I just called it (a game).' 'I don't know right now,' he said. 'I just iced it. It feels in some pain but hopefully it's not too serious and I can get back on the field soon.' Hamilton has been with the WooSox since July 11, when he was optioned to create a roster spot for Alex Bregman's return from the injured list. In four games for the WooSox, he was 3-for-17 (.176) with a triple and steal. Before that point, he had spent the entire year in the majors, hitting .179 with three homers, 12 RBIs and a .505 OPS. The 27-year-old had made 29 starts at second base and six at shortstop for Boston. With Bregman back (and starting to play on an everyday basis Friday), Mayer was expected to be the primary second baseman (and no longer play much third base), with Romy Gonzalez serving as another option against lefties. Now, expect Gonzalez, Ceddanne Rafaela and Hamilton to play second for the time being and the Red Sox to increase their aggressiveness when it comes to pursuing right-side infield help. More Gonzalez at second base would increase the need for a fill-in first base addition at the deadline. Hamilton, like Mayer, is a left-handed hitter who can play second. Vaughn Grissom, Nate Eaton and Kristian Campbell are all right-handed hitters who would have been imperfect platoon partners for Gonzalez. Nick Sogard is also on the 40-man roster but has not had a good offensive season in Worcester. More Red Sox coverage MLB Notebook: A look at which prospects Red Sox might move at trade deadline; deal brewing with Dodgers? Stefon Diggs' success or failure will define 2025 Patriots Potential Red Sox trade candidate traded to AL West contender (report) Red Sox pitcher who closed out World Series for Dodgers to receive ring this weekend Mass. native, two-time Gold Glove winner retires from MLB Read the original article on MassLive.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Berlin should stop paying benefits to Ukrainians of military age
Berlin should stop spending taxpayer money on social benefits for fighting-age Ukrainian men, Bundestag MP Stephan Mayer has suggested. Such people should either find work in Germany or go back to Ukraine and enlist in the army, the lawmaker believes. More than 304,000 Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 63 have fled to Germany since the start of the conflict, according to data cited by the German tabloid Bild on Monday. Roughly half of them are getting the so-called 'Burgergeld', or citizen's benefits, which are normally reserved for German citizens and EU nationals, who are either unemployed or have an extremely low income. Ukrainians were granted the privilege under a special law passed in May 2022, giving them larger benefits than what other asylum-seekers receive. 'Citizen's benefits for Ukrainian men of fighting age must finally be stopped,' Mayer told Bild, commenting on the issue. 'If almost 151,000 Ukrainians aged between 18 and 63 are getting social benefits from us, then something is wrong.' According to the lawmaker, such people should not be entitled to such assistance and 'must either work here in Germany or perform military service in Ukraine.' According to the German Federal Employment Agency, the federal government spends €1.328 billion ($1.53 billion) annually on 'citizen's benefits' for fighting-age Ukrainians. Germany has been one of the primary destinations for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict. According to various estimates, more than a million Ukrainians were residing in Germany as of December 2024. Last October, Stern magazine estimated that approximately 720,000 Ukrainians were receiving 'citizen's benefits.' Then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz also repeatedly spoke about the need to make Ukrainian refugees work. Kiev barred most men aged between 18 and 60 years old from leaving Ukraine when it launched its general mobilization in 2022, but many managed to leave anyway. According to Ukrainian lawmaker Anna Skorokhod, some 1.2 million draft dodgers had fled the country illegally as of December 2024.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Findings give hope for monthly HIV prevention pill
There are several antiretroviral formulations proven to prevent HIV infection: a daily pill, two different jabs that offer protection for two and six months respectively, and a vaginal ring for women that has to be replaced monthly. In a few years, a long-acting pill may join the ranks, if it works. The pill, for now called MK-8527, has the potential to prevent HIV infection for up to a month in its current formulation. It is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor (NRTTI), which means it disrupts a specific step in the cycle by which the virus makes copies of itself. The pill is now moving onto pivotal phase-three trials, after promising results from a smaller phase-two study presented at the International Aids Society (IAS) conference held in Kigali, Rwanda. The phase-two study, conducted in trial sites in South Africa, the US and Israel showed that MK-8527 was well tolerated and had a safety profile similar to a placebo. It also showed the levels of the antiretroviral were at the required levels in the bodies of study participants, though the study was not designed to determine whether it is effective. Whether MK-8527 actually prevents HIV infection will now be tested in two large phase-three studies across multiple countries, including South Africa. In these studies, the efficacy of the monthly pill will be compared with a daily HIV prevention pill that is already widely available in South Africa's public sector. The daily pill contains the antiretroviral drugs tenofovir disaproxil fumarate and emtricitabine. Latest findings The phase-two study looked at three different doses of the monthly pill — 3mg, 6mg and 12mg — as well as a placebo. The 350 participants, about one third of which were from South Africa, were given one pill (either an active pill or placebo) every month for six months. They were monitored for at least two months afterwards. None of the participants acquired HIV during the study. The researchers enrolled adults who were at a low risk of being exposed to HIV and excluded pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people who had previously used MK-8527 or a similar antiretroviral drug called Islatravir, said Dr Kenneth Mayer, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who presented the findings in Kigali earlier this month. The levels of the antiretroviral in the blood of all the participants were measured on day one and two, on the last day of taking the pill, and again at the first follow-up visit after stopping the pill. Based on these results, Mayer said there doesn't appear to be a build-up of drugs in the body that might prove toxic over time. This supports evaluating the use of a monthly pill over a longer period (than the six months in the study), he said, 'without concern that increasing drug levels will cause toxicity after a longer period of monthly administration'.
