Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras was forced to exit Sunday’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays after taking a pitch to his right hand during the opening inning. The ball was thrown by Rays pitcher Nick Martinez.
While Contreras managed to complete his trip around the bases, he did not take the field when the second inning began. Team officials initially described the injury as a contusion but announced plans to conduct medical imaging tests to fully evaluate the damage.
This marks the eighth time this season that Contreras has been struck by a pitch, placing him in a three-way tie for most in Major League Baseball alongside St. Louis players J.J. Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera.
The veteran player, who will celebrate his 34th birthday on Wednesday, currently paces Boston’s roster with eight home runs and 23 runs batted in while maintaining a .259 batting average across 39 games this season.
This marks Contreras’s debut campaign with the Red Sox after being selected as an All-Star three times during his career. Over 1,116 major league games spanning stints with the Chicago Cubs from 2016-2022, the St. Louis Cardinals from 2023-2025, and now Boston, he has compiled a .258 career batting average alongside 180 home runs and 571 RBIs.
Andruw Monasterio stepped in to take over first base duties and managed to collect hits during his first two plate appearances of the game.
