The Boston Red Sox watched the their worst-case scenario unfold Monday with recently acquired Curtis Mead.
The Red Sox made the bold move of acquiring Mead from the Washington Nationals in a trade that sent promising young pitcher Connelly Early. The move irked a handful of Red Sox fans who felt the team had overpaid for the 25-year-old third baseman.
Mead wasn’t able to prove his worth in his debut Monday against the Athletics. Mead, who struck out looking in his first at-bat, got hit in the wrist in the top of the 4th inning and later had to leave the game at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, Calif.
Absolute nightmare scenario. Curtis Mead is out of the game after getting hit on the wrist earlier. pic.twitter.com/FAmMjp0fUu
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) July 28, 2026
Mead was immediately seen wincing as he took his spot at first base. He powered through the pain and even went back onto the field for the bottom of the 4th inning but was taken out of the game the very next inning.
The Australian slugger got through just two plate appearances in the 4-2 Red Sox victory. Boston scored another minor win when X-rays came out negative on Mead’s left wrist.
“I felt OK. Squeezing my hand feels OK. Just a little bit of pain rotating,” Mead told reporters after the game, via ESPN. “We were able to get an X-ray, and everything looked OK. So, I’m hopeful that I will feel better tomorrow morning and that it won’t be a problem.”
Manager Chad Tracy added that the team seemed to have “dodged a bullet” with Mead’s wrist injury, but added that the newest Red Sox infielder will undergo further testing.
