Teams poised to make big trade deadline moves
Bob Nightengale breaks down the teams expected to make the biggest moves before the MLB trade deadline.
Curtis Mead’s Boston Red Sox tenure lasted two plate appearances before he was lost to the injured list − and, likely, for most of the remaining season with a broken left wrist.
Mead was placed on the injured list Tuesday, July 28, one day after he was struck by a pitch from the Athletics’ Jack Perkins. Initial X-rays performed at the Athletics’ Class AAA ballpark in West Sacramento indicated there was no break, Mead told reporters Monday evening.
But further imaging revealed what X-ray technology at the A’s Yolo County ballpark didn’t: Mead hit the IL before their game Tuesday and infielder Nick Sogard was recalled from Class AAA Worcester.
The severity of Mead’s injury was first reported by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
Mead was acquired from the Washington Nationals late Saturday evening, intended to beef up a lagging lineup that’s been carried by the Red Sox’s pitching staff. The cost was left-hander Connelly Early, who will have five years of club control with Washington and, the Nationals hope, will pitch near the top of their rotation.
Now, Mead’s injury will only add to the Red Sox’s urgency to add more offense before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Mead hit 17 home runs and had an .852 OPS in Washington, where he played both corner infield positions. He was also expected to get playing time at second base in Boston.
The Red Sox will likely be shorthanded for their game Tuesday, with Sogard needing to travel from Norfolk, Virginia, to West Sacramento.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.