Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras was forced to leave Sunday’s game after being struck on his right hand by a pitch from Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Nick Martinez in the first inning. Although he completed his at-bat and ran the bases, Contreras did not take the field for the second inning. The team initially described the injury as a contusion but sent him for imaging to assess the severity. Fortunately, initial X-rays came back negative.
“He’s sore. That’s all we know right now,” interim manager Chad Tracy said after the game. “We’ve got an off day Monday, which really helps. We’ll reevaluate and see how he feels. Hopefully, we’ll be okay.”
The hit-by-pitch marked the eighth time Contreras has been plunked this season, tying him with St. Louis’ J.J. Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera for the MLB lead. The three-time All-Star, who turns 34 on Wednesday, has been a key bat for Boston, leading the club with eight home runs and 23 RBIs while batting .259 over 39 games.
Contreras is in his first season with the Red Sox. Over his career, he has compiled a .258 average with 180 home runs and 571 RBIs across 1,116 games for the Chicago Cubs (2016-22), St. Louis Cardinals (2023-25), and Boston.
Andruw Monasterio took over at first base and went 2-for-3 with a double. The Rays won the game 4-1, dropping Boston to 17-23 on the season.
