The Boston Red Sox on September 24 dodged a bullet with a second potential Ceddanne Rafaela injury, but got a devastating Willson Contreras update. The veteran is still feeling pain while swinging after he was hit on his right hand by a pitch and he called into question his availability for the postseason.
The Red Sox also got an update on a long shot return candidate that could keep some hope alive. Trade deadline acquisition Curtis Mead on Friday will take batting practice off a pitching machine, according to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe (subscription required).
Mead will head to Fort Myers to join a number of players the Red Sox already have there, and Garrett Crochet will join him. Healey reports that Mead might take more batting practice off Crochet on Saturday.
The Red Sox have not formally ruled out activating Mead before the Wild Card round, which begins on September 29. It will be a close call, but there is still a slight chance that Mead could join the team before the first playoff series.
There's still a slim chance Curtis Mead could be ready for Red Sox's Wild Card series
The Red Sox dealt for Mead at the trade deadline to bring some power to their infield. The second baseman slashed .254/.352/.500 with 17 doubles and 17 home runs with the Washington Nationals. He's been on the injured list healing a fractured wrist after two at-bats in a Red Sox uniform. He hasn't appeared in a game since July 27.
There is some risk to rushing Mead back into action since he hasn't played in so long. If he does return, he'll do so without a rehab assignment because the WooSox's season has been over since September 19. If Mead isn't properly warmed up, a postseason rotation will be a rude awakening.
Still, the Red Sox's offense needs a serious lift, and even the possibility that Mead could help might be motivation enough for them to add him to the playoff roster. Boston's bats have slumped hard in September — the Red Sox have the second-lowest batting average (.221) and OPS (.656) this month and they won't get past the New York Yankees' pitching staff in that state.
Red Sox fans shouldn't get their hopes up about Mead's return. Even though he hasn't been ruled out, any blip in his recovery could cause a delay he can't come back from. He's also not as warmed up as he would be if he was returning in the regular season with a chance to go on a rehab assignment.
But Boston is desperate for a spark. If there's even a chance Mead could bring it, the Sox should let him try.
Add us as a preferred source on Google