The Boston Red Sox look postseason-bound, even though they have not officially clinched a spot yet; they are still awaiting the return of some key players.
One of the players the Red Sox want back is second baseman Curtis Mead, whom they acquired from the Washington Nationals before the trade deadline. Mead suffered a wrist injury in his first game as a member of the Red Sox, and getting him back could be huge for the offense.
“He’s in a different kind of cast now where they can do a scan when it’s necessary,” interim manager Chad Tracy said on Tuesday. “He’s mostly still in stabilized mode. He’s running and doing his catch play with somebody catching the ball for him. He’s doing some other things to stay active, but nothing new to report there yet.”
Mead still seems to be far off from a rehab assignment, but the Red Sox will want him back in time for October. He has an .851 OPS this year and is having a career year at the plate. The hope is that he picks up right where he left off when he's back.
This is his first season with over 300 plate appearances and he has hit more home runs than he had in his entire career. He is under contract for a few more years, so getting him healthy goes beyond just this season. In the meantime, Andruw Monasterio could fill in at second base once Trevor Story is back.
The designated hitter spot is now open for the Red Sox as well, with Masataka Yoshida injured.