The final days before the Boston Red Sox's expected Wild Card rematch with their bitter rivals have already been brutal — a Nor'easter is playing havoc with their schedule, the offense hasn't reliably delivered for days and the team has gotten a gut punch of an update on Willson Contreras' injury.
After Boston's September 24 loss (another unfortunate outcome, as the Cleveland Guardians got to celebrate a playoff clinch on the field at Fenway Park), Contreras threw his playoff ability into question. The first baseman was hit on his right hand by a pitch on September 17 and hasn't played since. He underwent scans on the afflicted hand and they came back clear, but Contreras is still in all kinds of pain.
“My hand hurts. I mean when it hurts, it hurts. Especially when it’s the top hand. If it was a bottom hand, I could swing with the right hand, but when it’s the right hand, my right hand just feels weaker until I just let the bat go. It’s not a good sign," Contreras said via Christopher Smith of MassLive.
Contreras also said he's doing everything he can to feel well enough to return before the postseason. But pushing too hard could do more harm than good — swinging too much too early could kill any small chance he has to come back at any point.
Willson Contreras may not be available for Red Sox Wild Card due to lingering pain in recently-hit hand
With the Sox's first Wild Card game just four days away, this is a devastating update from Contreras. He's been the team's best hitter for most of the season and he leads the club in home runs, which make all the difference in the playoffs, particularly against another slugging team like the New York Yankees.
The Red Sox's offense also looks like it needs Contreras more than ever. Boston's production at the plate has taken a turn for the worse in September — it has the second-lowest batting average in the league this month (.221), as well as the second-lowest OPS (.656) and a .171 average with runners in scoring position.
Contreras hasn't looked like his usual self at the plate for a bit, as he's had injuries pile up throughout the season (happens when a player has been hit by 24 pitches in a season). Contreras is slashing .276/.387/.518 over 129 games this season, but .241/.359/.407 in his last 15 games.
Despite Contreras' mini-slump, the Red Sox still need him. He's the team home run leader and his on-base percentage (.387) leads the team. The Yankees have one of the strongest rotations in the league and Boston needs its best bats to get ahead of them. Contreras' injury is a crushing blow for a team that needs all the offense it can get to stay alive.
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