Curtis Mead's Red Sox story lasted all of two plate appearances before it took a nasty turn. In his first game with Boston on Monday in West Sacramento, the newly acquired infielder was hit on his left wrist by a fastball, and reports emerging Tuesday said he is dealing with a fracture. The injury came barely a day after he joined Boston in a one-for-one trade.
According to Boston.com, Alex Speier reported that the Red Sox planned to place Mead on the injured list, while Tommy Cassell of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported the broken wrist. The initial X-rays were negative, and interim manager Chad Tracy initially suggested Boston might have dodged a bullet before the later fracture news surfaced.
The hit-by-pitch came when Athletics right-hander Jack Perkins drilled Mead with a 94.9-mph fastball in the fourth inning, MLB.com reported. Mead stayed in the game as a baserunner and then played second base before exiting in the fifth, while Boston held on for a 4-2 win. Afterward, he said his hand felt mostly fine but that rotating the wrist caused some pain.
Red Sox Lose The Bat They Grabbed For A Deadline Push
Boston brought Mead over from Washington for right-handed power and defensive versatility, a move covered in power bat Curtis Mead. He had produced 17 home runs, 48 RBIs and an .852 OPS across 87 games for the Nationals this season, according to Boston.com. Nick Sogard was expected to come up from Triple-A Worcester, with Anthony Seigler slated to share second-base work while Mead is sidelined.
Injury Raises The Heat Before Next Monday's Deadline
The timing is especially awkward for a Boston club that had been trying to add offense before the trade deadline. MLB.com lists the deadline as next Monday at 6 p.m. Eastern, giving chief baseball officer Craig Breslow little time to assess whether Mead's injury requires another move. The length of Mead's absence was not immediately clear, but the Red Sox now have a fresh reason to keep the phones busy.
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