Red Sox's Willson Contreras Suffers Hand Injury in Win Over Rangers
Contreras was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning, leading to swelling and pain, though X-rays came back negative.
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras experienced an injury scare Thursday night when he was struck by a pitch on his right hand during the eighth inning of the team's 4-3 victory against the Texas Rangers.
Contreras was hit by a sinker on the first pitch he faced from reliever Jakob Junis. He proceeded to first base, visibly in pain, before a trainer attended to him in the dugout. Shortly after, Trevor Story hit a go-ahead three-run home run that secured the win for Boston and prevented a sweep by Texas.
Following the game, interim manager Chad Tracy stated that Contreras's hand was bruised with some swelling. X-rays of the hand were negative, and Tracy indicated the team would manage his status "day to day."
As the regular season draws to a close, the Red Sox face challenges in managing player health as they aim for a postseason run. The team is scheduled to begin a weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night, potentially without one of their most consistent hitters.
Contreras indicated that he likely would not play in the series opener. He told the Boston Globe that he initially feared he had fractured his hand, an injury he has sustained previously. "Sore. Painful. My hand was numb for like five minutes," Contreras said. "That was the reason I came out of the game. I have fractured, before, the same hand. It felt like a fracture. Thankfully, it’s not a fracture on the top of the bone."
Contreras also expressed frustration with being frequently hit by pitches during his career, noting that he ranks third in the majors this season in that category. "If nobody does anything about it, I’m going to keep getting hit. That’s the way I see it. That’s it," he stated.
He added, "I mean, sore bones in the hands — might take two days, might take a week, might take ten days. I don’t know. We’ll see how I feel after taking this plane to Tampa."
If the Rays secure the top spot in the AL East, the Red Sox could face the New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card series. This potential matchup would require Boston to have its key offensive players healthy and ready to compete against one of the league's top pitching staffs.