FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox's competition at second base is coming down to the wire.

However, one name you can rule out is Vaughn Grissom, as the right-handed hitter was optioned to Minor League camp after Wednesday afternoon’s 6-4 win over the Tigers.

Perhaps a slight front-runner when camp opened -- at least judging by his playing time when the Grapefruit League started -- Grissom hasn’t been able to get it going at the plate.

While playing in 13 games and getting 34 at-bats, Grissom had a slash line of .176/.300/.235 with two extra-base hits (both doubles) and three RBIs.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora elaborated on the team’s decision to option Grissom prior to Thursday’s game.

“He did everything possible in the offseason. He killed it. We asked him to show up at 220, he showed up at 221. He turned the double play well,” Cora said. “There’s a few things that we talked about that I think he can do better defensively.”

“But it was like, ‘Just go down there and do your thing.’ As a player, especially where we’re at [as an organization] right now, ‘Just go down there and kill it. Be selfish. Do your thing, show everybody that you can be a big leaguer. And not only with us, but think in the industry.’

“‘Show them that you're still young, you're still a good athlete.’ But this is the route we’re going. We haven't yet made a decision about second base, but we're getting close, and he's not in the equation. He needs to play too. He has to go down there and play.”

In recent days, MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 overall prospect Kristian Campbell and speedster David Hamilton had clearly passed Grissom in the competition. A new wrinkle emerged on Wednesday as Marcelo Mayer (Pipeline’s No. 12 prospect) made his first start at second base this spring.

Hamilton started at second base Thursday night against the Twins, but Campbell was also in the starting lineup, in left field.

Cora said he was simply trying to get both players more at-bats.

It has been a tough go for the 24-year-old Grissom since he was acquired from the Braves for Chris Sale in December 2023.

The Red Sox hoped Grissom would become their starting second baseman in 2024. But he showed up to camp with right hamstring issues that bothered him all season. And when he was healthy enough to be on the roster, Grissom slashed .190/.246/.219 with three doubles, no homers and six RBIs in 114 plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Sale stayed healthy for the first time in years, winning the National League’s Cy Young Award in his first season with Atlanta.

The Red Sox sent two other players down on Wednesday who spent time on last year’s team -- righty relievers Josh Winckowski and Luis Guerrero.

Guerrero stood out as a late-season callup in 2024, giving up no runs through his first 10 innings. If Guerrero had followed that with a strong Spring Training, he likely would have made the team. Instead, he had nine walks in 5 2/3 innings, covering seven appearances.

“Erratic. He didn't throw too many strikes. He walked a lot of guys. He was behind in the count,” Cora said. “We’ve got to get him going. I think it started in Bradenton [on March 4]. He was all over the place, and he knows it. The good thing about him is, he didn't get upset. He's like, ‘I’ve got to keep working. I'll be back.’”

And what about Winckowski, who has pitched in 115 games for the Red Sox over the past three seasons, including 21 starts?

“He struggled,” Cora said. “We introduced the four-seamer the other day and a bigger slider/sweeper that kind of changed planes. This is a guy, the stuff is good, but we have to get people out, and he knows it. He was very honest with us and we were very honest with him, and now it's just about getting to work with the group, and at one point he'll contribute.”