Willson Contreras left Boston’s Thursday game in Arlington after a sinker caught him on the hand in the eighth inning, putting a painful pause on a season that has been his best at the plate.
What happened in the eighth
- Wilyer Abreu opened the inning by drawing a six-pitch walk against Rangers reliever Jakob Junis.
- Junis then threw Contreras a 92.3 mph sinker that struck the Red Sox first baseman on the hand.
- Contreras dropped to the ground in obvious pain, then got up and headed toward first base.
- Abreu helped him keep his balance at the bag while interim manager Chad Tracy and a trainer came out from the Boston dugout.
- Contreras departed shortly afterward, ending his night against Texas.
A big first Boston season
The hit-by-pitch came one night after Contreras supplied Boston’s biggest swing in a loss to the Rangers, driving a two-run homer that marked the 199th home run of his major league career.
In his first season with the Red Sox, Contreras has established career bests with 27 home runs, 81 RBIs and a 155 OPS+. His production has made him a central piece of Boston’s lineup, which makes the hand injury worth watching closely after Thursday’s exit.
