Red Sox place 1B Willson Contreras on 10-day injured list
Red Sox place first baseman Willson Contreras on 10‑day injured list
Boston – The Boston Red Sox announced on Monday that first‑baseman Willson Contreras would sit on the 10‑day injured list as the team seeks to give the 34‑year‑old player a chance to recover from a strained left hamstring that has nagged him for more than a month.
Contreras, who was batting .274 and led the club in homers (career‑high 26) and runs batted in (79) in his first season after being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in an offseason trade, has been a key offensive force for Boston. The injury, which has limited his mobility, prompted the decision to shut him down.
“We just wanted to give him a few days to let it calm down,” interim manager Chad Tracy said before the start of a three‑game stretch against Seattle. “It’s a recurring issue, and the best way to get him over the hump and keep him healthy for the push to the playoffs is to rest him.”
Tracy added that the move was made with the player’s long‑term health and the team’s roster flexibility in mind. “We did it to make sure he can be with us for the final push. We all agreed that was the best course of action,” he said.
In the wake of the decision, Boston recalled switch‑hitter Mickey Gasper from Triple‑A Worcester to fill Contreras’ spot on the lineup. The 30‑year‑old Gasper has produced five homers and 19 RBI for the Sox this season and will be expected to step into a more regular role.
Contreras had first shown signs of the injury on August 8 when he jogged lightly on a grounder in a loss to the Oakland Athletics, prompting boos from Fenway Park fans. A few days later he confirmed that the team was aware of his leg troubles. “If you know me by now, you know I play 100 percent day in and day out,” Contreras said to the media. “They have to have a reason for me not to run the bases and I had it. My coaching staff knew that.”
The Red Sox entered Monday’s game holding a comfortable lead for the second of the three American League wild‑card spots, with 25 regular‑season games remaining.
The team’s rotation is also being adjusted to preserve its best pitchers. Right‑hander Sonny Gray, who leads the club with a 16‑4 record and a 2.82 earned run average, had his start pushed from Tuesday to Saturday to give him extra rest. “Rest his body and make sure he’s full‑go down the stretch as well,” Tracy said.
The move to put Contreras on the injured list comes after a photo taken during Friday’s game in New York showed the first‑baseman striking Yankees catcher Austin Wells in the arm with his bat. While the incident was unrelated to the hamstring strain, it added to the media’s coverage of the player’s health status. Contreras was placed on the 10‑day IL shortly thereafter, leaving Boston’s lineup in need of a new offensive anchor.
In summary, the Red Sox have placed Willson Contreras on the 10‑day injured list to address a strained left hamstring, recalled Mickey Gasper from Triple‑A Worcester to take his place, and adjusted the pitching schedule to protect Sonny Gray. With 25 games remaining, Boston aims to keep its key contributors healthy as it vies for a wild‑card berth in the American League.
