BOSTON (AP) — Marcelo Mayer, the Red Sox’s second-highest-ranked prospect, got called up to Boston and needed a lift to Fenway Park for his major league debut against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night. The reason he didn’t drive himself: he misplaced his car keys “about three weeks ago.”

Mayer was brought up from Triple-A Worcester after third baseman Alex Bregman landed on the 10-day injured list due to a right quad strain. A “clubby” gave Mayer a ride to Boston during which he responded to text messages on the roughly 45-minute journey. Mayer played third base, hit sixth in the lineup, and went 0 for 4 in Boston’s 2-1 defeat in the latter game of a split doubleheader.

As he stepped up for his first at-bat, he was met with a roaring ovation, with many fans rising to their feet. “It was incredible,” he shared. “I’ve never experienced anything like it. I just finished texting my friends and family about that moment. It’s something I’ll cherish forever.” He admitted he might have been overly eager at the plate.

“I think I tried to do too much with runners on,” he reflected. “Next time, I’ll need to handle that better.” Drafted fourth overall in 2021, the 22-year-old Mayer made his way to Fenway after the Red Sox secured a 6-5 victory over Baltimore in the first game of the doubleheader. “It feels rewarding. It’s what I’ve strived for my entire life,” Mayer said, standing in the clubhouse before the second game.

“The manager in Worcester, Chad Tracy, called me into his office in the morning and initially told me I was benched for the first game,” Mayer recalled. “Just to see what was happening in Boston, then he called me back later and said something like: ‘You’re playing the second game, but not here, at Fenway instead.'”

Mayer spent the ride to Boston catching up on messages, oblivious to the traffic around him. “I used the time to relax and reply to all my family and friends,” he mentioned, adding that his dad was the first he informed. “It was surreal,” he noted. “The emotions were still quite high. It’s a journey my family and I have been on since I began playing. It was a moment I definitely wanted to share with them before speaking to the media.”