Boston Red Sox
Meade exited Monday’s game against the A’s after taking a fastball to the wrist while at the plate.
Curtis Mead left his first game with the Red Sox after suffering a blow to his wrist. AP Photo/Scott Marshall
The Red Sox’ new trade acquisition Curtis Mead didn’t last long in his first appearance with Boston on Monday night.
Mead — who was acquired from the Nationals in a one-out swap for Connelly Early — exited Monday’s game against the A’s at Sutter Health Park in the bottom of the fifth inning after suffering a hit to the wrist.
The 25-year-old was hit on the left wrist on an inside fastball by A’s starter Jack Perkins — with Mead offering to catch out after he initially checked his swing.
Meade was clearly in discomfort after he took off his wrist guard and made his way to first base, but he remained in the game in the top and bottom of the fourth inning.
Meade did not return to the bottom of the fifth, as Anthony Siegler replaced him at second base for the rest of the game.
After Boston’s eventual 4-2 victory over the A’s, the Red Sox announced that an X-ray on Mead was negative.
However, this injury scare represents a rough development for both the Red Sox and Mead, who is expected to add more pop to a Red Sox lineup that entered Monday tied for last in the majors with just 98 home runs on the season.
Before Monday’s game, Mead expressed his excitement at joining a Red Sox team that has posted an 18-3 record so far in July.
“There are a lot of challenges that come with trading,” Meade told reporters in Sacramento. Including MassLive’s Chris Smith. “And being able to draw on past experiences was definitely helpful. I was able to talk to some people who knew some of the people here at this club. And everyone had great things to say about the people here. That definitely made it easier.”
Mead is no stranger to the harsh realities that come with life in the major leagues.
The young outfielder has been traded three times in less than a year — going from the Rays to the White Sox as part of a four-player deal on July 31, 2025, before being optioned by the Nationals on March 28 in exchange for an attractive prospect.
And on Saturday night, Mead again received the call that he was on the move as the Red Sox acquired him early.
Circumstances were different for the 25-year-old Mead on Saturday. In previous trades, Mead — a former top prospect in the Rays organization — was either a throw-in asset or the headline of a minor league deal.
But, after putting together a breakout campaign with the Nationals so far in 2026, Mead finds himself involved in one of the first moves in a crowded set of transactions ahead of the August 3 trade deadline.
It’s a gamble that the Red Sox deemed worth taking, especially given the production Mead has provided so far this season.
After batting .238 with five home runs and 31 RBI from 2023-25 (152 games total), Mead appears to have put it all together with the Nationals. As Mead made his Red Sox debut Monday night in Sacramento, the talented outfielder was batting .256 with 17 home runs, 48 RBI and an .852 OPS over 87 games.
“Obviously I was reasonably disappointed with my short stints in the major leagues and how things went,” Mead told reporters, including Chris Smith of MassLive, on Monday before Boston’s game against the A’s. “But I think my belief never wavered. I felt like if I had the opportunity to play more regularly, my game would be a bit more consistent.”
“So it was great to have this opportunity in Washington and make the most of it and then ultimately end up in a place like this.”
Now, the Red Sox will have to hold out hope that their new bat won’t waste any time before his tenure in Boston begins in earnest.
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