As the regular season winds down, the Boston Red Sox anticipate many key players' returns from injury, including Roman Anthony, Trevor Story and Garrett Whitlock, to name a few. There's a chance trade deadline addition Curtis Mead could join them on the roster.
The Red Sox on July 26, about a week before the deadline, traded for Mead from the Washington Nationals. They hoped he'd bring some pop to their infield, but he only lasted two at-bats before he was hit by a pitch on an unprotected part of his forearm. The hit fractured Mead's wrist and sent him to the injured list before he could prove himself with Boston.
Mead got lucky in one way: his wrist fracture is of the non-displaced variety, meaning his broken bones remained lined up and in the ideal position for healing. The infielder on August 24, four weeks after his injury, will undergo imaging to check the status of his recovery, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com.
The Red Sox offered a tentative six-to-eight week recovery timeline for Mead's return, but that could change following Mead's updated scans. If the fracture is healed or close to it, the Australia native could begin a rehab assignment in time to return before the regular season ends on September 27.
Red Sox could get Curtis Mead injury return timeline following updated imaging on fractured wrist
But Boston will be cutting it close for a return before the postseason. Mead hasn't swung a bat in a month and he'll have to do some ramping up before committing to a return timeline and rehab assignment.
If he can pull it off, Mead will be a great addition to the Sox's lineup as they hunt for the best playoff standing possible. Mead slashed .254/.352/.500 with 17 doubles, a triple and 17 home runs over 87 games with the Nationals. He'll be one of the top home run threats in Boston's lineup, as his 17 homers would be tied with Jarren Duran for third on the team had he spent the whole season with the Red Sox.
On a more troubling note, Mead's return would contribute to an already serious roster crunch in the middle infield, albeit much later. Trevor Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are in the middle of rehab assignments and they're expected to return soon, but Boston has no easy roster moves to make room for them — Anthony Seigler, Nick Sogard, and Mickey Gasper have played well enough lately to make for tough decisions. Rosters will be expanded from 26 to 28 players by the time Mead returns, if he does, but the Red Sox's injury replacements have been too good to dismiss so easily.
Regardless, Mead brings more power to the table than anyone else in the infield besides Willson Contreras. A tight turnaround on his recovery or tough roster move would be well worth it for the boost his offense brings.
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