​SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Curtis Mead #25 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after being hit by a pitch from pitcher Jack Perkins #50 of the Athletics in the top of the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park on July 27, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) GettySACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Curtis Mead #25 of the Boston Red Sox is hit by a pitch from pitcher Jack Perkins #50 of the Athletics in the top of the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park on July 27, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 07: Starting pitcher Jake Bennett #64 of the Boston Red Sox throws in the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on May 07, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) GettyThe Boston Red Sox have been without Curtis Mead since the end of July. Interim manager Chad Tracy gave MassLive’s Chris Cotillo an update on Mead ahead of their series finale against the Los Angeles Angels. The 26-year-old infielder is catching with his broken hand, but has yet to swing the bat.Chad Tracy tempered expectations about Curtis Mead’s potential return, noting some recurring soreness in the wrist. The clock is ticking for him and Justin Slaten, who is shut down from throwing. Mead has started catching with the affected hand but has not swung at all yet.— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) September 9, 2026Mead has been on the injured list since July 28 due to a nondisplaced fracture of his left wrist. He suffered the injury the day before, when he was hit by a pitch against the Athletics. He was expected to miss six to eight weeks, which would have put the early end of his return timeline around now.The Red Sox are more or less locked into the American League’s No. 5 seed, so it’s a matter of getting healthy in the final two and a half weeks of the season. In addition to Mead, the club is without Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela.Red Sox Provide Concerning Update on Curtis Mead’s RehabGettyCurtis Mead has not played for the Red Sox since July 27. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
As Cotillo notes, the clock is ticking for Curtis Mead to return by the end of the regular season. The fact that he has not progressed to swinging a bat six weeks after his injury is a concern in and of itself.There is less than three weeks in the regular season for Mead to get back in shape. While the Red Sox are a virtual lock for the postseason, they’d like the 26-year-old infielder in game shape by then.The Red Sox paid a high price to land Mead from the Washington Nationals ahead of the trade deadline. They sent rookie left-hander Connelly Early to add some thump to their lineup. Early had made the Opening Day roster over Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett, who are both in the Red Sox rotation now.With Washington, Mead slashed .254/.352/.500 with 17 home runs and a 133 wRC+. The Red Sox believed his 2026 power breakout had stay