The Red Sox have already gotten a major lift from the returns of Roman Anthony and Trevor Story, and Boston expects more help soon with Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela also on the way back. Even with that wave of reinforcements, though, two injuries continue to hang over the club’s playoff push: Curtis Mead and Masataka Yoshida.
Mead’s situation is especially frustrating because Boston brought in the 25-year-old slugger from the Washington Nationals in exchange for Connelly Early ahead of the 2026 MLB trade deadline. The move caught plenty of people off guard when it happened, and it looked like the Red Sox were getting another bat to deepen the lineup. Instead, Mead played in just one game for Boston before a fractured wrist, suffered when he was hit by a pitch in his debut, sent him to the Injured List.
There has been some progress. Mead has been working back with the goal of returning before the 2026 season ends, and he has even been seen playing catch.
But time is tight. Triple-A Worcester finishes its season on Sep. 20, and Boston closes the regular season on Sep. 27 against the Chicago Cubs, which leaves very little runway for a rehab assignment and a full ramp-up.
That reality led Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy to “tempered expectations” on Mead’s return in 2026 on Wednesday, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com.
"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," Cotillo wrote on X.
If Mead does get back and looks like himself, Boston would add a real right-handed power threat. Before the injury, he had 17 homers and 48 RBIs in 88 games, a pace that works out to 31 homers over 162 games. That kind of production would play anywhere, and it would look even better in a lineup that already includes Anthony and Story at full strength.
Yoshida is a different kind of missing piece, but he matters just as much. Tracy said Boston is a "ways off" from getting him back, as Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reported.
"Masataka Yoshida (hamstring) is doing 'treadmill walking,' Chad Tracy said," Healey wrote. "'So we’re still a ways off there.'"
Before the hamstring injury, Yoshida was hitting .274/.347/.399 with five home runs and 28 RBIs in 87 games. At the time, he was one of Boston’s hottest hitters, and his bat would still fit whether he returns as the designated hitter with Anthony in left field or simply gives the club another option off the bench.
The Red Sox are also dealing with other injuries, though those cases are in different places. Garrett Crochet has been sidelined for months, but he has been throwing bullpens and is aiming to come back this season. Tanner Houck is already on a rehab assignment, which puts him on a clearer path to a return.
For Mead and Yoshida, there’s still no firm answer. Both would help Boston’s push, but for now they remain very much up in the air.
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Red Sox Roster Squeeze Has Put One Fan Favorite In Danger
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With All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras expected back soon, utility infielder Andruw Monasterio has seen his playing time drop sharply, and his recent performance has slipped as well. For a player who had earned some early-season goodwill, that puts him in a vulnerable spot, and the front office may soon have to decide whether the roster can still carry him once Contreras is activated. [Read more 🡒]