Willson Contreras was back in Boston’s lineup Sunday, taking the designated hitter spot and batting third against the Cubs at Tropicana Field after an eight-game absence. The appearance gave the Red Sox a promising final check on the right hand injury he suffered when he was hit by a pitch Sept. 17 in Texas.
More importantly, it put Contreras on track for a possible role when Boston opens the American League Wild Card Series on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. Game 162 had been shifted from Fenway Park to St. Petersburg as a weekend nor’easter brought heavy rain and strong winds to the East Coast.
Quick facts
- Contreras returned after missing eight games with a right hand injury.
- Before going down, he was hitting .276 with 27 homers and 81 RBIs.
- Catcher/first baseman Mickey Gasper went on the 10-day injured list with a right biceps strain.
- Right-hander Tyron Guerrero was placed on the 15-day injured list because of a right shoulder strain.
- Boston recalled Nate Eaton and Wyatt Olds.
- Left-hander Garrett Crochet could still emerge as a bullpen option for the postseason.
Manager Chad Tracy called the prospect of having Contreras available “huge” and “massive.” He pointed to the kind of October at-bat that can turn on one pitch, saying Contreras’ power and middle-of-the-order presence carry extra weight in those moments.
Contreras made what Tracy described as significant progress before Sunday. He took batting practice during Saturday’s optional workout at the Trop and looked sharp enough to clear an important step in the process.
“That was a huge step,” Tracy said. “So we’ll get him some live at-bats in a game, and hopefully we’re good to go.”
Third baseman Caleb Durbin said the return of Contreras changed the feel inside the clubhouse. Boston has also been without Ceddanne Rafaela, who missed 17 games with a right quad strain, and Durbin said the club understands what it could mean to get both players back for postseason baseball.
“We’re a different team” with Contreras and Rafaela, Durbin said. He called Contreras a leader whose energy, experience and all-out style will add to the playoff atmosphere.
The healthier news around Contreras came with two losses on the roster. Gasper suffered his biceps injury during Friday’s Red Sox-Cubs doubleheader at Fenway Park, a development Tracy had expected could lead to an injured-list move.
Gasper had produced a .251 average, 10 home runs, 24 RBIs and an .823 OPS in 67 games. Guerrero’s placement was less expected after he felt discomfort in a recent tuneup, though he had already missed most of September with shoulder inflammation. The reliever owns a 3.10 ERA across 40 appearances.
Eaton gives Boston another athletic outfield option, with Tracy citing his speed and defense as particular strengths. Olds joins him in the call-up group as the Red Sox continue to sort through the construction of their postseason roster.
Crochet remains the most intriguing late possibility. The ace left-hander has not pitched for Boston since April 25, but he threw well in live batting practice Saturday in Fort Myers, Florida.
He is expected to travel with the club to New York, though Tracy said it remains undecided whether Crochet will be included on the Wild Card roster. For now, the clearest boost is Contreras, back in uniform and again occupying a spot in the heart of Boston’s order.
