Just when it looked like things couldn't get much worse for the Boston Red Sox in the early weeks of the 2026 campaign, the injury bug came to bite them. Willson Contreras was pulled from Boston's April 14 game against the Minnesota Twins, leading many fans to expect the worst.
Contreras was diagnosed with back tightness, which could've been devastating for the Red Sox. However, Alex Cora was "confident" at the time that Contreras wouldn't need an injured list stint and expected him to be ready to play again by Friday, April 17.
Thankfully, the Red Sox's assessment was correct and Contreras is back in the lineup against the Detroit Tigers. The lineup for Friday's game (which airs on Apple TV) also has a new look, with Contreras batting in the No. 2 spot behind Roman Anthony and ahead of Wilyer Abreu.
Contreras has been one of the Red Sox's best hitters in recent games while their offense has ticked up. The first baseman is batting .298/.444/.491 with two doubles, three homers, 19 strikeouts, 11 walks and 11 RBI. He's also a hit by pitch magnet and he's already been plunked four times, but for the struggling Red Sox, anytime anyone gets on base, it's a positive.
Red Sox are lucky to have Willson Contreras back in the lineup after back injury scare
Abreu has cooled down at the plate in recent games, with a .231/.333/.231 slash line in his last seven appearances. Ceddanne Rafaela (.300/.386/.380) and Masataka Yoshida (.286/.459/.393) rival Contreras in terms of offensive production, but both are given plenty of off days while Contreras is more of an everyday player.
Losing Contreras for any extended length of time would've also been a crushing blow for the Sox's defense. For the first time in a long time, Boston has a defensively-capable first baseman — Contreras has logged three outs above average, which ranks in the 98th percentile among first baseman, and two defensive runs saved.
Due to Triston Casas' many long-term injuries since the 2024 season, the Red Sox are used to having less inexperienced players at first base, such as Dominic Smith, Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez. Contreras' years of catching experience have set him up to be the most agile and defensively-capable first baseman the Red Sox have had in years, and losing him to injury might only raise Boston's already-excessive error total.
Given their early struggles at the plate and on defense, the Red Sox dodged a disastrous bullet with Contreras' back soreness. He's also one of the few veterans and leaders in Boston's position player group and his guidance and energy have been key in its early wins.
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