Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said that Mead will be activated ahead of Monday's series opener versus the Athletics and could see most of his reps at second base initially, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports. "The cool thing was talking to all players involved, including Curtis, that the general response was '[I'll] play wherever you need me to.' So we got a good right-handed bat that looks like he's capable playing second," Tracy said of Mead, who was acquired in a trade with the Nationals on Sunday. "We'll start with that and keep eyes on it."
Mead has made 35 career big-league starts at second base, but just one has come this season as the Nationals primarily deployed him at the corner-infield spots prior to trading him. With Willson Contreras entrenched at first base and the Red Sox keen on keeping Caleb Durbin at third base, Mead looks like he'll settle in at the keystone. Boston has received solid production at second base from Anthony Seigler of late, but he could fade into more of a part-time role to clear up at-bats for Mead, who has broken out this season with an .852 OPS, 17 home runs and six steals over 87 games for Washington.