The Boston Red Sox entered their July 8 game against the Chicago White Sox having won nine of their last 11 games, fresh out of last place in the American League East. The second inning showed things were going too well for a little too long.
During his second inning at-bat, Willson Contreras took a pitch off the top of his foot, near his ankle. The first baseman is famous for crowding the plate and he's worn his fair share of pitches this year (14), but the one out of Davis Martin's hand was different. Contreras hit the ground, grimaced in pain and struggled to get up after the hit.
But in true Contreras fashion, he continued his at-bat. The next pitch from Martin was a wild one that rolled all the way to the backstop, beckoning Anthony Seigler in from third base. As the speedy infielder dove in to the plate, White Sox catcher Kyle Teel retrieved the ball and jumped in knees-first, landing on Seigler's head and shoulder area. He scored to give the Red Sox a 3-0 lead,
It took Seigler a visit from a trainer and a few minutes to get up, but he made his way down the dugout steps on his own. Contreras limped out to first base the next half inning but couldn't play through the pain, favoring his injured foot with every step. He also left the game after the first White Sox hit of the frame.
Ian Browne of MLB.com reports that Seigler has been diagnosed with a contusion in his right trap and Contreras with a left foot contusion.
Willson Contreras and Anthony Seigler leave July 8 Red Sox-White Sox game in the same inning with injuries
The two injures are a brutal hand to a Red Sox team that was beginning to find its footing. Contreras and Seigler have been two of Boston's best hitters throughout its torrid stretch — they have a .302/.383/.623 and .294/.379/.451 slash line, respectively in their last 15 games.
While Seigler has played well since his promotion, Contreras has been a critical member of this Red Sox team. He's batting .285/.379/.542 with 20 homers and 61 RBI over 88 games this year in the best offensive season of his career so far. If he misses an extended period of time, the Red Sox will feel it. He also just earned his fourth career All-Star nomination and committed to participating in the Home Run Derby hours before the injury.
The Red Sox's injured list is already long — Roman Anthony, Garrett Crochet, Trevor Story, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Marcelo Mayer, Nick Sogard and more are already out of commission. Nate Eaton served the second game of his two-game suspension on July 8 so he can return soon, but Connor Wong is the only remaining player on Boston's bench after Contreras and Seigler's injuries.
The 2026 Red Sox can't catch a break. Any time they generate any semblence of momentum, they get in their own way or disaster strikes. On July 8, disaster struck in the worst way.
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