The Boston Red Sox are setting the bar high for top infield prospect Marcelo Mayer.

Mayer, baseball’s No. 7 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, will be challenged this upcoming season to showcase his defensive versatility. Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters during Saturday’s Fenway Fest that the plan will be for the 22-year-old to play shortstop, second base and third base, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith.

Boston promoted Mayer, alongside Roman Anthony and ex-Red Sox prospect Kyle Teel, to Triple-A Worcester last season. Mayer, now 240 minor league appearances deep into his professional career, has logged 238 appearances at shortstop. So, the organization’s plan will pose an opportunity for Mayer to get familiar with other areas around the infield before Boston gives him the long-awaited call to its big league club.

It’s not an easy transition, but Cora isn’t alone in believing that Mayer is up for the test.

“I think he has the ability and maturity to be an all the way around infielder,” Red Sox infield instructor Jose Flores said Saturday, per Smith. “That being said, no doubt that he can play the left side of the field. Obviously second base will probably be a position that will be a little bit more awkward for him to learn on a faster pace just because it’s his blind side when turning double plays and all that. And it’s a little bit different. But it’s something that I know for a fact that he can pick up really fast. No doubt.”

Boston selected Mayer, a shortstop out of Eastlake High School, with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, and allowed him to maintain that position.

Mayer made 65 starts at shortstop for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs last season and just one at third base, committing a combined 11 errors including one in four defensive chances at the hot corner.

He also batted .307 with eight home runs, 28 doubles, 38 RBIs and a .370 on-base percentage in 77 games with the Sea Dogs. Mayer didn’t get a chance to take the field with Boston’s Triple-A crew after suffering an immediate lumbar strain upon his promotion, which ended Mayer’s 2024 season in late August.

That concluded Mayer’s fourth season in Boston’s farm system on a rough note, however, it didn’t discourage the organization one bit.

“I want to see the kids play,” Cora said, per Smith. “(Kristian) Campbell and Marcelo and Roman — I want to see them play.”

Mayer is expected to be ready by the start of spring training.

There is NBA action on Sunday, Jan. 12 that sees the Boston Celtics welcoming the New Orleans Pelicans to TD Garden in Boston.

The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on NBC Sports Boston. Fans looking to watch this NBA game can do so for free by using DirecTV Stream, which offers a free trial. You can also watch on FuboTV, which also offers a free trial and $30 off your first month, or SlingTV, which doesn’t offer a free trial but has promotional offers available.

The Celtics have lost two of their last three and are 11-8 since the start of December, and now sit at 27-11, still the second-best mark in the East. The Pelicans are 8-31, but have won three of their last five.

• WATCH THE GAME FOR FREE HERE

Who: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Boston Celtics

When: Sunday, Jan. 12 at 6 p.m. EST

Where: TD Garden in Boston

Stream: FuboTV; Sling; DirecTV Stream (free trial)

Betting: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.

What is FuboTV?

FuboTV is an internet television service that offers more than 200 channels across sports and entertainment including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME. From the UEFA Champions League to the WNBA to international tournaments ranging across sports, there’s plenty of options available on FuboTV, which offers a free trial and $30 off the first month for new customers.

What is DirecTV Stream?

DirecTV Stream offers practically everything DirecTV provides, except for a remote and a streaming device to connect to your television. Sign up now and get three free months of premium channels including MAX, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and Starz.

What is SlingTV?

SlingTV offers a variety of live programing ranging from news and sports and starting as low as $20 a month for your first month. Subscribers also get a month of DVR Plus free if they sign up now. Choose from a variety of sports packages without long-term contracts and with easy cancelation.

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An NBA 1st: Jokic, Westbrook record triple-doubles in same game for 2nd time this season

By MICHAEL KELLY Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook made NBA history on Friday night, becoming the first pair of teammates to record a triple-double in the same game multiple times in a single season.

Jokic finished with 35 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds for his NBA-leading 15th triple-double of the season in the Nuggets’ 124-105 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Westbrook had 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

“I think it’s that’s the style both of us play,” Jokic said. “I’m just glad we’re winning the games because that’s more important than the stats. It’s special, the relationship, how the guys are willing to run the lanes and get to the corner. They know the ball’s going to find them.”

They’re also the first to record a 25-point triple-double in the same regular-season game.

“Wow. That’s pretty crazy. We’re watching history, folks,” Denver coach Michael Malone said.

The pair also accomplished the feat at Utah on Dec. 30. Jokic had 36 points, 22 rebounds and 11 assists that night while Westbrook had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Westbrook made all seven of his shot attempts, both free throw attempts and didn’t have a turnover in that game.

Westbrook credited Malone with giving him the freedom to play his game.

“Being able to do that allows me to be able to make guys around me better,” Westbrook said Friday. “Try to bring this team some leadership, some energy, some toughness. We’re just getting started on figuring it out.”

Jokic had missed the previous two games with an illness before returning against the Nets. He went to the bench late in the third quarter one rebound shy of his 145th career triple-double and the Nuggets leading by 18.

Brooklyn rallied to get within five and Jokic returned and had nine points, four assists and three rebounds in the fourth.

Jokic got his 10th rebound after Westbrook blocked Keon Johnson’s shot with 6:51 left.

Westbrook had four assists in the fourth to record his 202nd career triple-double, which is the most in an NBA career. It was his third triple-double this season, his first in Denver.

Westbrook signed with the Nuggets last summer after spending the last three seasons in Los Angeles with both the Lakers and the Clippers.

The Associated Press contributed to this article

The Boston Public Schools (BPS) enroll students from 139 different countries who speak 66 different languages at home.  Roughly one-third of BPS students are classified as Multilingual Learners or English Language Learners (ELs), which means they are not fluent in English and need their instruction augmented in some way.

It’s the “in some way” which is the topic of intense debate both locally and nationally. The Boston Teachers Union (BTU) wants to change the way the BPS teaches EL students. The BTU wants the BPS to end its current practice of having a general education teacher also deliver English language instruction. President-elect Donald Trump recently told Time magazine that he wants to keep only some of the Department of Education operational “just to make sure they’re teaching English in the schools.”

In an effort to help ELs, the BPS recently announced the creation of new dual language programming for the ‘25-’26 school year.  At first only 200 students will be served but expansions are planned. These programs range from “newcomers” who do not speak any or only very limited English, to advanced programs in high school where students are eligible to receive the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy upon graduation.

All of these approaches only nibble around the edge of the issue, and even if these programs are faithfully implemented the core issue remains unchanged: American students are at a disadvantage globally if they remain monolingual.

Finland, often hailed as the world exemplar of public education, requires its students to learn four languages by the time they graduate secondary school. Finland has two official languages, Finnish and Swedish. Whatever language a student speaks at home, that student learns the other official language in school. The goal is to have all Finns able to speak to one another in order both to build a national community and to make commerce easier. Then Finns learn two more languages (one of which is usually English).

Over 43 million people in the United States speak Spanish at home (13% of the population). In Boston,16% of the population speaks Spanish. So let’s follow the Finnish model and have all our students – and citizens – understand one another.

Boston already has a few dual-language programs in not only Spanish but also in Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, and American Sign Language. What if Boston simply expanded these programs so that all students in the BPS became proficient in at least two languages?

If this were to happen, then Boston graduates would be in high demand. A 2023 report by The Century Foundation states that bilingual students have better problem-solving skills and improved working memory due to their more active neural networks as a result of their learning two (or more) languages.

There are other benefits of bilingualism such as better social-emotional development and even a potential delay in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (again due to expanded neural pathways).

Practically speaking, bilingual employees can earn up to 20% more than their monolingual counterparts. Workforce Essentials reported in 2023 that US businesses lose roughly $2 billion annually due to language barriers and cultural misunderstandings. Undeniably our world is becoming more interconnected. BPS graduates who are multilingual would have a great advantage in both college and career.

Boston is already moving in the direction of increased multilingual instruction. In the Dec. 18, 2024 School Committee meeting, BPS interim CFO David Bloom gave a report which stated that over the past year the general education population in the BPS decreased by 22% whereas the number of ELs increased by 11%. Simply put, Boston has to increase its multilingual instruction anyway. Why not go all in?

There are two frequent arguments against bilingual education. One is xenophobia and the other is parsimony. For a “nation of immigrants” it is illogical for us to fear our neighbors’ words and cultures. As for the cost, let us beware of the “bait and switch” of vouchers or school choice.

It is also important to also note that many private/independent schools offer language instruction from Grade 1 through Grade 12. They know that doing so will make their graduates more competitive in college and beyond.

There is no denying that Boston needs to do better by its students. If we continue the current model we will likely continue with the current results. An expansive bilingual program would both improve our students’ lives and attract more families to the district.

Finally we could also help our students and families by having our teachers learn Spanish and/or other languages in their professional development sessions. We can all learn from each other.

Para los estudiantes de hoy, la educación bilingüe es esencial para la universidad, la carrera y nuestra sociedad global. Creemos que todos los estudiantes deberían tener la misma oportunidad de aprender otros idiomas.

(Michael Maguire teaches Latin and Ancient Greek at Boston Latin Academy and serves on the Executive Board of the Boston Teachers Union. Julie Caldarone is the retired Director of World Languages for Boston Public Schools. She currently co-teaches a course entitled, “Spanish for BPS Educators.”  The ideas expressed here are their own.)