Red Sox's Curtis Mead Quietly Inching Closer to Playoff Return

Still a lot of boxes to check, but...

Jul 6, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Curtis Mead (45) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a home run against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Curtis Mead has arguably been the most frustrating non-factor for the Boston Red Sox this season, because he never got his chance to make an impact.

In his very first game after being acquired in a trade with the Washington Nationals, Mead fractured his left wrist on a high-and-tight fastball against the Athletics. He quickly found himself in an uphill battle to return to action before the Red Sox's season ended at some point in the playoffs, but he's started making some progress.

According to a Saturday MLB.com injury update, Mead has begun hitting off a tee, which slipped under the radar amid a slough of injury news about Willson Contreras, Garrett Crochet, and others. Good news, to be sure, but far from a guarantee he makes it back for a game this year.

Mead's return not imminent, but progress made

Jul 5, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Curtis Mead (45) drops his back after hitting the ball into play against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Interim manager Chad Tracy said earlier this week that the tee work was beginning on Wednesday, per Boston Sports Gordo on X. That means we're a few days late to this particular story, so apologies to our readers — but not much slips by us, so it was a particularly quiet announcement.

Mead's breakout season (.851 OPS, 17 home runs in 88 games) was halted at the worst possible time. The Red Sox were looking to add an impact bat at the trade deadline, and Mead's absence has been nearly as awkward as Adley Rutschman's struggles.

Would Mead be the slam-dunk starter at second base even if he came back fully healthy this week? That's another real issue to consider, since Nick Sogard has done a nice job over the last month-plus. Perhaps Mead would at least be in the lineup against left-handed pitchers over the struggling Andruw Monasterio and/or Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

The Red Sox will have interesting decisions to make at the fringes of the roster for the first couple of rounds of the playoffs, no matter what. If Mead re-enters the picture, we could see someone who feels like they earned their spot get the axe, but that's the cost of doing business in a year when the American League could be up for grabs.