Surprise! Red Sox turn to Curtis Mead in win-or-go-home Game 2
· Yahoo Sports
NEW YORK — With their season on the line and Roman Anthony out of the picture due to a hand/wrist injury, the Red Sox are throwing up something of a “Hail Mary” on Wednesday night in New York.
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Before a do-or-die Game 2 of their Wild Card Series against the Yankees, Boston replaced Anthony on the roster with Curtis Mead, who has been out since July 27, when he had his left wrist fractured by a pitch in his Red Sox debut. Mead is not in Boston’s lineup against lefty Max Fried but will be available as a bench option.
“I’m excited,” Mead said. “It obviously sucks to lose Roman; he’s a big part of the club, one of the most talented guys we have. But I’m excited for the opportunity and looking forward to making the most of it.”
Mead was not able to play in a rehab game late in the season but had advanced his rehab process enough to participate in a live batting practice session earlier this week in Fort Myers. He said he faced left-hander Tyler Samaniego at Fenway South on Monday before flying to New York for the Wild Card Series, at first as a spectator. At another point in the season, the Red Sox likely would have had Mead take multiple live BP sessions then play in some minor league games before activating him. With their season on the line Wednesday night, that wasn’t an option.
“There are times when you accelerate timelines and compress things,” said chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. “You still want to make sure you have the interests of the player and the team in mind. We’re not going to do anything that’s reckless or irresponsible. But medically, Curtis is cleared.
“We didn’t get a chance to see what Curtis is capable of, but if you look at the first half that he had, the opportunity to provide some offensive punch is something I think we can use,” Breslow said.
With Anthony out, Major League Baseball had to approve a substitution on Boston’s roster. According to Tracy, the two candidates were Mead and infielder Anthony Seigler, who were both on the IL. The Red Sox did not have Mead active for the beginning of the best-of-three series, which started with a 9-0 blowout loss Tuesday night. But he’s now back as an emergency option off the bench Wednesday.
“They’ve been doing baseball activities and quite a bit of them,” Tracy said of Mead and Seigler. “Are they a full-go? Not necessarily, but we have a lot of players banged up.”
Asked to describe how he felt physically, Mead responded: “That’s a tough question to answer, but I think I feel 100%. I feel like that I’m ready however the team needs me. I’m excited to hopefully get the opportunity tonight or tomorrow.”
Anthony was removed from Game 1 after two at-bats due to soreness in his right wrist. An MRI revealed new damage to the area, which had already caused Anthony to miss four months of the regular season. Anthony went back to Boston for testing late Tuesday but has returned to New York to attend Game 2 as a spectator.
“(He’s) sore,” Tracy said Wednesday. “He was sent back last night after leaving the game. We sent him back to Boston for extra, additional imaging which actually revealed some new strains to different muscles in his wrist in addition to exacerbating the old injuries. It’s not great.
“I know there’s enough there, and enough new stuff there, where (Anthony) is not gonna be able to play,” Tracy said. “There’s enough there that we know that if we make this move, we’re not only going to miss him now, but also for this next series. We’re pretty confident in that to be able to submit paperwork.”
Mead, a 25-year-old who can play every infield position except shortstop, hit .253 with 17 homers, 17 doubles, 48 RBIs and an .851 OPS in 87 games for Washington before the Red Sox acquired him in exchange for left-hander Connelly Early on July 26. Mead was expected to become Boston’s starting second baseman but got hit in the wrist with a pitch in the second at-bat of his team debut against the Athletics. He has been out ever since.
“It is (ironic), yeah,” said Mead. “I saw Roman last night and some of the swings he was taking and I definitely felt his pain. We kind of talked about it over the last month. I was quite interested in his return to play and the sort of things he was feeling and how long it took him to get up to speed. I definitely used him as a resource. I feel horrible for him, but I’m glad that I can kind of step in and hopefully contribute.”
With Anthony out of the lineup, the Red Sox will start Jahmai Jones at designated hitter and Nate Eaton in left field against southpaw Max Fried in Game 2.
“I feel pretty content that I’m going to be ready in a pinch-hit opportunity, so I’ll probably just draw on those experiences (with the Nationals),” Mead said.
More Red Sox coverage
- Red Sox’ Curtis Mead, an 11th-hour roster replacement; ‘I think I feel 100 percent’
- Roman Anthony injury includes ‘new’ strains in wrist; Red Sox remove him from playoff roster
- Roman Anthony not in Red Sox lineup for Game 2 of AL Wild Card Series on Wednesday
- Can the Red Sox even the series in New York? Polymarket odds & model predictions for Wild Card Game 2
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