Curtis Mead

Mead hasn’t taken an at-bat in a game situation since suffering a fractured left wrist during his Red Sox debut back in late July. The 25-year-old corner infielder has been added to Boston’s playoff roster in the wake of Roman Anthony suffering yet another hand injury. He’ll be available off the bench with Boston facing elimination in Game 2 at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.

Over the weekend, Mead started hitting off a tee, but it seems that he progressed enough to face live pitching on Tuesday. Crochet, who is working back from a shoulder injury, threw to Ceddanne Rafaela (hamstring) and also Mead. The left-hander touched 96 mph and was sitting in the low 90s, so Mead was able to see and hit velocity. There is no word on how the session went or how Mead felt after it, but the fact that he has progressed to this stage makes it possible that he could return in time for the postseason.

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters Mead will progress to hitting off a tee on Wednesday. It doesn’t seem like Mead is going to make it back before the regular season concludes, but the fact that he’s resumed swinging means he could be an option during the postseason. The 25-year-old infielder suffered a fractured left wrist during his Red Sox debut back in late July.

The clock is definitely ticking here. Mead has just over two weeks left to ramp up a hitting progression if he’s going to help the Red Sox during a potential postseason run. The fact that he hasn’t been cleared to resume swinging a bat roughly seven weeks after fracturing his left wrist is a bit concerning.

Mead no longer has a cast on his left wrist after fracturing it back on July 27th. It’s nice to see him playing catch without the cast on his glove hand, but we’ll need to see him hit before we have a better sense of exactly when he’s going to return to Boston’s lineup.

Cotillo elaborates that it’s a tentative return timetable, which leaves open the possibility that Mead could make it back at some point in mid-September. The encouraging news is that he won’t require season-ending surgery after suffering a fractured left wrist when he was hit by a pitch during his Red Sox debut earlier this week. There should be a clearer return timeline once he’s cleared to resume baseball activities at some point in August.

It’s a brutal development for the Red Sox as Mead is out indefinitely and will fly back to Boston to visit a hand specialist to determine whether he’ll require season-ending surgery. The 25-year-old infielder, who was acquired from the Nationals for talented young lefty Connelly Early over the weekend, underwent an MRI that revealed the fracture after initial X-rays came back negative. It’s possible there was too much swelling for the fracture to show up on initial imaging at the ballpark after he was hit by a pitch during Monday’s series opener in West Sacramento. He suffered the injury during his second at-bat during his Red Sox debut. Fantasy managers should anticipate a lengthy absence and there’s a possibility his season is over.

It’s the worst-case scenario outcome for Mead after he was drilled by a pitch during the second at-bat of his Red Sox debut against the Athletics on Monday night. The 25-year-old infielder was acquired from the Nationals for lefty Connelly Early last week and is already facing an extended absence. There’s a strong possibility his season is over given the severity of the injury. Cassell adds that Nick Sogard is coming up from Triple-A Worcester to take Mead’s roster spot. It’ll be Caleb Durbin handling third base with Anthony Seigler moving back into a starting role at the keystone.

The positive news here is that Mead appears to have avoided serious injury during his Red Sox debut after initial X-rays came back negative for any fractures. He was struck by a pitch from Athletics starter Jack Perkins during his second at-bat of the contest. The 25-year-old infielder, who was acquired from the Nationals in a trade over the weekend, is presumably day-to-day moving forward. It’s a significant relief for Boston and fantasy managers as well.

You can’t make this stuff up. Mead was replaced by Anthony Seigler at second base a couple frames after being drilled by a pitch on the left hand during his second at-bat in a Red Sox uniform after striking out in his first plate appearance. He’ll undergo X-rays to determine whether he suffered any fractures. There should be an update on his status shortly.

Mead has a phenomenal opportunity to make some noise in Sutter Health Field’s high-octane offensive environment in West Sacramento after coming over from the Nationals in a challenge trade for lefty Connelly Early over the weekend. The 25-year-old former top prospect has gone through a bizarre odyssey in the early portion of his career, but he appears to have finally arrived as an impactful everyday option this season, launching 17 homers in 327 plate appearances for Washington. He’s started pulling the ball in the air with much greater frequency this season, which will absolutely work in Fenway Park. He’s at second base in his Boston debut, but is likely to also see time at the hot corner over the final two months.

The Red Sox could have easily acquired Mead a few months ago, but they’re obviously much bigger believers now after he hit .254/.352/.500 with 17 homers in 327 plate appearances for the Nationals. And he does look like a perfectly legitimate major league hitter at this point. However, his bat speed and exit velocity numbers are all pretty average, and he just doesn’t offer much defensive value as a well-below-average defensive third baseman and potentially adequate first baseman. The Red Sox will likely make him their primary DH for now, allowing him to maintain some mixed-league value. Still, if they’re ever at full strength, he might not warrant starts against righties. Time will tell, but giving up Early here seems like a misstep. With Mead likely to see significant time at DH, Masataka Yoshida will again become a reserve, though perhaps a Jarren Duran trade could put him in left field for a time.

It could have been an even bigger night, but Mead lined out while getting to face outfielder Carlos Cortes in the Nationals’ five-run ninth inning. It’s still his first career game with three extra-base hits. He scored four runs for the second time. Mead is 18-for-41 with three homers this month, raising his OPS from .780 to .865.

It’s nothing more than a routine day of rest for the 25-year-old slugger. Mead has been a productive addition to the Nationals’ lineup this season, slashing .245/.340/.490 with 16 homers, 43 RBI and five stolen bases in 294 plate appearances. Jorbit Vivas will start in his place at third base and bat eighth for the Nationals against Yankees’ right-hander Will Warren.

Mead put Washington ahead with a fifth-inning tater off Houston starter Mike Burrows. The 25-year-old former top prospect has put together a certifiable breakthrough campaign in his Nationals debut with a career-high 15 homers through 75 games.

It appears to be nothing more than a routine night off for the 25-year-old slugger. Jorbit Vivas will start in his place at third base and bat eighth for the Nationals against Pirates’ right-hander Mitch Keller.

Mead opened the scoring in the contest as he ambushed a first-pitch sinker from Cristopher Sanchez for a 409-foot (107.5-mph EV) solo shot in the home half of the first inning. That would be his only hit in five at-bats. For the season, the 25-year-old infielder is now hitting .223/.325/.476 with the aforementioned 14 long balls and 39 RBI on the season.

Mead came off the bench to take Phillies reliever Jonathan Bowlan deep for a two-run homer in the sixth inning. The 25-year-old former top prospect has been an unexpected revelation for Washington this season, posting a career-best .796 OPS with 13 homers through 65 games. He’s gone deep twice in his last three games and has five homers since the start of June.

The Nationals had a one-run lead when Mead took Seth Johnson deep, but it did make things more comfortable as Richard Lovelady and Clayton Beeter closed out the contest. It was Mead’s 12th homer in 225 plate appearances. He totaled five in 488 plate appearances with the Rays and White Sox over his first three seasons.

Mead roped a three-run home run off Daniel Lynch in the seventh inning with the score tied at three. It was Mead’s 11th home run of the season and 34th RBI. He has cooled a bit of late since becoming a full-time player, going just 10-for-46 (.217) since June 1st with three home runs and nine RBI. That being said, he’s still hitting the ball hard, and a 9/4 K/BB ratio in two weeks of game action is pretty solid. We’d expect another strong stretch to be coming his way.