Willson Contreras played a key role in the Boston Red Sox's come-from-behind win in the series finale against the Texas Rangers, but not in a way he would have preferred. Contreras was plunked in the hand by struggling Rangers reliever Jakob Junis in the top of the eighth, setting the scene for Trevor Story to launch a go-ahead three-run homer off All-Star closer Jacob Latz.
The good news is that Contreras underwent x-rays following the game, and they came back clean. The veteran didn't seem to agree with the diagnosis, saying that it felt like a fracture and that he's fractured that hand before and experienced some numbness. More importantly, he's frustrated.
“If nobody does anything about it, I’m going to keep getting hit. That’s the way I see it. That’s it,” Contreras said, via Tim Healey of The Boston Globe.
Contreras has been hit by a pitch 24 times this season, third-most in the league. Of course, he also crowds the plate more than almost any hitter in the game. You want to claim the entire plate as your own; expect opposing pitchers to try and prove to you that the inside corner is, in fact, theirs.
By the sound of it, that is lost on Contreras. It seems as if the former St. Louis Cardinal wants one of Boston's pitchers to go out and start beaning batters in retaliation. That might be how things were done in the olden days, but now that's a recipe for escalation, a potential brawl, and possible suspensions.
Given that he doesn't feel as if any of the hurlers have come to his defense, it's likely that won't change. These bad feelings could become a cause for concern, and even more so with us approaching October's doorstep.
Willson Contreras could be threatening Red Sox chemistry again with latest HBP outrage
On the field, Contreras has had a fantastic first season in Boston. His 27 homers are already a career high, and if it holds, his .387 on-base percentage will be a career-best, too. Meanwhile, his .518 slugging percentage is the second-best mark of his career. There was a reason why he was voted a top AL MVP contender in an MLB.com poll at the end of August.
That's been great, but there have been issues. Contreras made some confusing comments after Alex Cora was dismissed, seemingly taking a shot at the team's young players in the process. He has also gotten into it with fans after being booed for not running out a ground ball back in August, further cementing his reputation as a prickly player.
At the same time, before the tide turned on the Red Sox's season and trade rumors enveloped him, he stated that he wouldn't waive his no-trade clause, desiring to finish his career in Boston.
Overall, it's odd. At times, it has seemed as if he doesn't really want to be here, despite his protest that, in fact, Boston is the only place he envisions himself playing.
This latest incident is more dangerous. Who knows what is said behind closed doors, but hurt bodies and hurt feelings don't go well together. If Contreras pushes the "defense" issue, it could cause a real rift. The pitchers could side with each other, while the hitters rally around Contreras.
The lines could also be different if there are enough players on either side of the positional divide with a more updated view of bean ball, so that different cliques could form.
The Red Sox have bigger issues at hand right now. They're going to have to figure out their postseason roster crunch. They're hoping that Aroldis Chapman's sore lat isn't anything serious. They need to find a way to get Roman Anthony's bat going before the playoffs begin. What they don't have time for is Contreras getting in his feelings because he got hit while standing on top of the plate.
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