The 2026 trade deadline was shaping up to be Craig Breslow's best yet. Before he went all in on deadline day to land Adley Rutschman, Erik Miller and Eli White, he traded for Curtis Mead to bring some pop to the Boston Red Sox's lineup.
It didn't take long for that move to go sour. On July 27, Mead was plunked on the wrist in his second plate appearance in a Red Sox uniform and the infielder has been sidelined ever since.
Boston's interim manager Chad Tracy on September 9 gave an unfortunate update on Mead's condition. The 25-year-old has begun catching with his injured arm, but he's still experiencing some soreness of the wrist, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive. He hasn't begun swinging yet, which is the most concerning aspect of his recovery.
If Mead is feeling pain and still hasn't swung a bat with just a few weeks remaining in the regular season, the odds that he can begin a rehab assignment before the Triple-A season ends are slim to none. He hasn't appeared in a game in nearly a month and a half and it would take quite some time before he'd be ready to return to action.
Chad Tracy's latest injury updates suggest Red Sox won't see Curtis Mead in action again this season
The Red Sox were initially hopeful that Mead would be able to play down the stretch following a speedy recovery. In the aftermath of the injury, he underwent an MRI that showed his wrist fracture was non-displaced, meaning the broken bone remained aligned and the injury would require no surgical intervention. But not even the best luck could help Breslow right his trade deadline past.
Mead batted .254/.352/.500 with 17 doubles, a triple and 17 home runs over 87 games for the Washington Nationals before the trade that brought him to the Sox. His 17 home runs would rank fourth on the team between Ceddanne Rafaela (16) and Jarren Duran (20). Boston is hitting homers at a faster pace than it was in the first half — its 66 second half home runs rank fourth in the — but more power is always better, and Mead would've brought it.
At least the Red Sox have had no shortage of production from their bench and depth players. Nick Sogard and Mickey Gasper are the latest injury replacements to thrive but Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler had their moments shortly after Mead's injury.
Breslow had the right idea when he traded Connelly Early for Mead. He dealt from a position of depth to land a long-term second baseman who can mash, one of the Sox's biggest needs of the last many years. But the injury bug stops for no one. At least White and Miller have been great for the Red Sox, because they aren't seeing Mead in action until next season, whenever it begins.
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