Red Sox's Willson Contreras: Out of Wednesday's lineup
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Contreras (back) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game in Minnesota.
Contreras exited Tuesday's 6-0 loss after his lower back tightened up on him. With a team off day looming Thursday before the Red Sox begin a homestand Friday, it's sensible to rest Contreras for the series finale Wednesday. Andruw Monasterio will handle first base and bat sixth for Boston. Per Ian Browne of MLB.com, manager Alex Cora believes Contreras has a good chance to be ready to play Friday versus the Tigers.
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Red Sox's Willson Contreras: Pulled with back tightness
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Contreras was removed from Tuesday's game against the Twins due to lower-back tightness, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.
Contreras was hit by a 92.7-mph sinker in the fourth inning and was eventually replaced on defense by Andruw Monasterio in the fifth. Details regarding Contreras' short-term availability should emerge after the Red Sox take a closer look at him, and if he has to miss any amount of time, Monasterio would be the favorite to receive starts at first base.
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Red Sox's Willson Contreras: Four hits, homer in win Sunday
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Contreras went 4-for-5 with a two-run home run and three RBI in Sunday's 9-3 win over the Cardinals.
Visiting Busch Stadium for the first time since he was traded by St. Louis to Boston over the winter, Contreras had a big series at the plate for the Red Sox, going 6-for-13 with the homer, a double and six RBI across the three contests. The veteran first baseman is now slashing .302/.448/.509 with three long balls, 11 RBI, eight runs scored and an 11:16 BB:K across 67 plate appearances to begin the 2026 campaign.
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Red Sox's Willson Contreras: Drives in three in win
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Contreras went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI in Saturday's 7-1 win over the Cardinals.
Contreras laced a two-run double in the fourth inning before adding an RBI single in the ninth. The 33-year-old has been on fire since the calendar flipped to April, hitting safely in seven of nine games with four extra-base hits and all eight of his RBI on the season. Overall, he's slashing .250/.419/.417 with two homers and seven runs scored across 62 plate appearances.
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Red Sox's Willson Contreras: Eventful night in loss
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Contreras went 3-for-3 with a walk, a double, a home run and two RBI in Monday's 8-6 loss to Milwaukee. He was also hit by a pitch.
Contreras delivered his first multi-hit game and was involved in all four innings in which the Red Sox scored, but the event causing the most drama was the HBP. He was buzzed by a fastball that barely struck his hand in the third inning, but it fired up Contreras -- it was the 24th time he's been hit by a pitch by Brewers pitchers over the years, and he had a message. "They always say, 'I'm not trying to hit you.' That gets old," Contreras told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. "So next time they hit me again, I'm going to take one of them out. That's the message." Contreras has turned around a slow start, going 7-for-21 over the last six contests, and he's reached base safely in nine of 10 games played (.409 OBP) to go along with three extra-base hits and four RBI.
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Red Sox's Willson Contreras: Hits first homer with new club
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Contreras went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 5-2 win over the Padres.
Contreras hit what proved to be the game-winning home run off Michael King in the sixth inning. The veteran has gone just 4-for-23 to start the year but appears to be finding his groove, hitting safely in each of the past three games. He's tallied 20-plus homers in six of his 10 major-league seasons, including four of the past five, and is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he posted a career-best 80 RBI.
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Red Sox's Willson Contreras: Swats second spring homer
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Contreras batted third and went 2-for-2 with a double, a three-run home run and an additional run scored in Sunday's spring game against Baltimore.
Contreras belted his second Grapefruit League homer in six games, a hopeful sign for a team projected to lack pop. He should find a home in the order at third or cleanup. Contreras is now headed to the World Baseball Classic and will join Team Venezuela.
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Red Sox's Willson Contreras: Pegged for cleanup spot
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Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Saturday that he expects Contreras to be his cleanup hitter this season, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Things could change based on additional moves the Red Sox make this offseason, but as things stand, Contreras is penciled into the No. 4 spot. Jarren Duran, Trevor Story and Roman Anthony appear likely to hit in the first three spots of the batting order, setting Contreras up for plenty of RBI opportunities. Acquired via trade from the Cardinals in December, Contreras slashed 257/.344/.447 with 20 home runs over 562 plate appearances with St. Louis in 2025.
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Red Sox's Willson Contreras: Will split reps at first base/DH
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The Red Sox plan to have Contreras (shoulder) split his playing time between first base and designated hitter, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
Triston Casas' recovery from a ruptured patellar tendon is coming along well and there's a chance he's ready for Opening Day, but the acquisition of Contreras allows the Red Sox to slow-play Casas, if needed. Contreras is coming back from a shoulder injury of his own but is expected to be fine for spring training. When both players are healthy, they should soak up most of the reps between first base and DH, though Casas does have minor-league options remaining.
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Red Sox's Willson Contreras: Headed to Boston
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St. Louis traded Contreras (shoulder) to the Red Sox on Sunday for a package that includes pitcher Hunter Dobbins (knee), Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Contreras spent the past three seasons with St. Louis after beginning his career with seven campaigns as a Cub. He transitioned to first base full time last year, with all 120 of his appearances in the field coming at that position after he spent his first nine seasons primarily as a catcher. Contreras reportedly informed Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom in September that he was unwilling to waive his no-trade clause, but clearly the 33-year-old has since had a change of heart. He'll fill a considerable gap at first base for the Red Sox, as they lost Abraham Toro to free agency Friday and DFA'd Nathaniel Lowe in November, leaving only the oft-injured Triston Casas (knee) to compete for at-bats. Contreras' loss of catcher eligibility reduces his fantasy appeal considerably, but he showed in his final season in St. Louis that he can still be moderately productive, slashing .257/.344/.447 with 20 home runs, 80 RBI, 70 runs and five stolen bases over 562 plate appearances. He ended the campaign on the IL due to a right shoulder strain, though the injury isn't expected to impact his readiness for spring training.
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Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Unwilling to waive no-trade clause
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Contreras (shoulder) informed incoming Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom during a conversation Friday that he wishes to remain with the team rather than waive his no-trade clause in order to facilitate a deal, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Contreras did hedge a bit, saying he expects the Cardinals to explore the trade market for him this offseason and he would listen if they came to him with a potential deal. However, his preference is to stay put, saying he "would like to be a part of the young team that is going to need to have some of experience around them." Contreras has two years and $36.5 million remaining on his contract, along with a $17.5 million club option (or $5 million buyout) for 2028. The 33-year-old is already done for the 2025 season, having been placed on the 10-day injured list earlier this month with a right shoulder strain.
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Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Season over after landing on IL
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The Cardinals placed Contreras on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right shoulder strain.
The injury had previously been labeled as a biceps strain, but either way, it will end Contreras' season. He slashed .257/.344/.447 with 20 home runs and 80 RBI over 135 games in his first season as a full-time first baseman. Alec Burleson will take over at first base for the Cardinals down the stretch, which should lead to more playing time in the outfield for Jordan Walker.
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Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Done for season with biceps strain
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The Cardinals will place Contreras (biceps) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right biceps strain, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
The strain is considered mild, but it is bad enough to end the first baseman's season with less than two weeks remaining. Contreras will finish 2025 with a .257/.344/.447 batting line, 20 home runs and 80 RBI over 135 games. Alec Burleson will take over as the team's everyday first baseman down the stretch, opening up more playing time in the outfield for Jordan Walker and others.
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Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Held out of lineup Tuesday
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Contreras (biceps) is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game versus the Reds.
Contreras was held out of Sunday's game in Milwaukee due to right biceps tightness and had to be pulled from Monday's contest against the Reds when it flared up on him. To this point, he is considered day-to-day. Alec Burleson will play first base for the Cardinals on Tuesday.
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Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Departs with biceps injury
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Contreras was removed from Monday's game against the Reds due to right biceps tightness, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Contreras was back in the starting lineup Monday after sitting out of Sunday's series finale against Milwaukee due to biceps soreness, but he was pulled in the bottom of the seventh inning due to the same issue. The 33-year-old can be considered day-to-day considering the nature of his injury.
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Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Returns to St. Louis lineup
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Contreras (soreness) will start at first base and bat cleanup in Monday's contest versus the Reds, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Contreras didn't play in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Brewers due to general soreness after he was hit by a pitch on two occasions Saturday, but he's back in the lineup after one day of rest. The 33-year-old has collected a .786 OPS with 20 home runs and 30 doubles in 2025 in his first season as a full-time first baseman.
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Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Back from suspension
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Contreras (suspension) was added to the active roster and will bat fourth while starting at first base Tuesday against Seattle.
Contreras' six-game suspension was reduced to four games following an appeal, which will allow him to return for the second game of St. Louis' series against the Mariners. The 33-year-old's .786 OPS represents his worst mark since he joined the Cardinals in 2023, though he went 5-for-18 with a homer and five RBI across his last five games before serving his suspension.
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Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Suspension reduced to four games
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Contreras' suspension for his actions in the Cardinals' Aug. 25 games versus the Pirates has been reduced from six games to four games and he will begin serving the suspension Friday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Contreras was tossed from the game after arguing about the strike zone and then tossed his bat in the direction of the home-plate umpire, striking hitting coach Brant Brown instead. He'll sit out the weekend series against the Giants and the first game of next week's series versus the Mariners before being reinstated Tuesday. With Contreras unavailable and Alec Burleson (wrist) on the 10-day injured list, the Cardinals don't have a traditional first baseman on the active roster. The club could elect to shift Nolan Gorman to first base and play Cesar Prieto or Jose Fermin at third base for the next four contests.
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Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Plates four runs Wednesday
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Contreras went 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBI in Wednesday's 5-1 win against the Athletics.
Contreras plated St. Louis' first two runs with a single in the third inning. He capped the Cardinals' scoring in the contest with a two-run triple in the eighth. Contreras finished with his first multi-hit game over his past 10 contests, and his four RBI on Wednesday were as many as he'd recorded during that 10-game stretch. Contreras is up to 78 RBI on the campaign, establishing a new career-high mark.
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Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Hits 20th homer in win
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Contreras went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Reds.
Contreras notched his sixth 20-homer season with a 431-foot blast in the seventh inning. The homer snapped a 1-for-21 skid over six games, coming after the 33-year-old went deep in his previous three contests between Aug. 20 and 22. On the year, he's slashing .253/.338/.449 with 20 long balls, 74 RBI, 66 runs scored and four steals across 526 plate appearances.
