The news that Tanner Houck will start the Boston Red Sox's final game of the year was just one of the surprising lineup decisions of the day. Willson Contreras will also return as Boston's designated hitter.
On September 17, Contreras was hit on the side of his hand with a pitch. Imaging after the fact showed no severe injuries, just a bruise of the hand, but Contreras was initially convinced he had fractured his hand.
Contreras on September 24 told reporters that he couldn't swing a bat without serious pain in his hand. He put his ability to return for the postseason in doubt. Yet, he's in the lineup against the Chicago Cubs, his former team.
Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said Contreras has made "pretty significant" progress with his hand injury, according to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. Tracy said Contreras took batting practice and live BP on the Sox's Saturday off day, but Healey didn't note whether the skipper gave an update on Contreras' pain level.
Willson Contreras surprisingly back in Red Sox's lineup as designated hitter against Cubs
The first baseman's return is excellent news for Boston. Contreras has been the surprising leader of the team all season, both on the field and in the clubhouse. He carries a career-best .276/.387/.518 slash line this season and leads the team with 27 home runs over 129 games.
Contreras is an electric player who leaves everything out on the field and will stop at nothing to get his teammates in a winning headspace. His gritty attitude has begun many a rally for the Red Sox. He's so determined it was hard to imagine him missing any playoff games due to an injury.
Contreras' return is an especially good sign given the state of the rest of Boston's lineup. Ceddanne Rafaela, another one of the Sox's most productive hitters all season as well as a defensive standout, has been dealing with quad and hamstring injuries this September. Mickey Gasper, a sudden home run threat, is out for at least the first two rounds of the playoffs following a biceps injury.
The Red Sox are locked in at the No. 5 seed this postseason and game 162 doesn't count for anything. They'll face the New York Yankees in the Wild Card round and Contreras will be an important weapon against their fearsome rotation. After much back-and-forth, the Yankees have seemingly decided that Cam Schlittler will start Game 1, Max Fried will follow in Game 2 and Gerrit Cole will take Game 3, if necessary.
Boston is taking a risk by bringing Contreras back for a game that doesn't matter. If his hand isn't fully healthy and his injury worsens, the Red Sox will regret their decision with a win-or-go-home series coming up. But if Contreras is well enough to play, it will be good to get him a warm-up game that doesn't count before at least two games that count for everything.
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