Willson Contreras has suspension cut to five games

Contreras’ home run was his 22nd of the season. He hit a two-run shot off Shane McClanahan in the fifth inning. Contreras has six home runs in his last 14 games. He’s hitting .283 with a .931 OPS and 64 RBI.

The Red Sox extended their winning streak to 11 consecutive games by sweeping Friday’s doubleheader against the division-leading Rays at Fenway Park. Contreras took Tampa Bay reliever Mason Englert deep in the opening frame of the nightcap affair, his first contest back following a five-game suspension for his on-field actions against the Nationals earlier this month. The 34-year-old has served as Boston’s primary offensive catalyst with 21 round-trippers through 89 games. He’s on pace to easily eclipse the 30-homer threshold for the first time in his career becoming the latest example of a veteran right-handed power hitting finding success immediately upon arrival at Fenway Park, much like J.D. Martinez did last decade.

This will be the fifth and final game that Willson Contreras is suspended for. When Contreras returns, Gonzalez will likely play more DH at second base, but he should remain in the lineup. He’s hitting .231/.302/.385 in 11 games since returning from offseason shoulder surgery.

Contreras added while speaking prior to the showcase in Philadelphia that he wants to finish his career in Boston. The 34-year-old first baseman put together an impressive 13-homer opening round during the Home Run Derby earlier this week and has been one of the main reasons that the Red Sox are within striking distance of a playoff spot coming out of the Midsummer Classic.

Contreras left Wednesday night’s game after fouling a pitch off of his foot. He didn’t believe he was dealing with anything other than a bruise, but he was also noticeably limping when he left the game. The Red Sox will give him at least one day off and go from there. Brett Harris, just up from Triple-A, will bat eighth and play first base, and Romy Gonzalez will hit cleanup and be the DH. Nate Eaton is also batting seventh and in left field after coming off the suspension list.

Harris will start at first base against the White Sox on Thursday after Willson Contreras fouled a ball off of his foot on Wednesday and had to leave the game. There is no word yet on whether or not Contreras will need to go on the injured list, but, for one day at least, Harris will take his place at first base.

Contreras expressed optimism that he doesn’t believe he’s dealing with anything more than a bruise after fouling a ball off his left foot during Wednesday’s contest against the White Sox. It doesn’t sound like he’ll undergo any imaging at this time. He’ll continue playing until the appeal process is complete regarding his seven-game suspension stemming from last week’s on-field incident against the Nationals.

There’s a lot to unpack here. Contreras limped off the field following a third-inning fly out where he appeared to roll his ankle while rounding first base and was replaced by Romy Gonzalez at first base after going 0-for-2. He also fouled a ball off his foot earlier in the contest. It’s possible his exit was for precautionary reasons to avoid making matters worse. The 34-year-old accepted an invite to compete in next week’s All-Star Home Run Derby earlier in the day. He’s also waiting on the appeal process to play out regarding a seven-game suspension. He’ll undergo further evaluation and testing to determine the severity of the injury. There should be an update on his status prior to Thursday’s series finale in Chicago.

Contreras gets his wish after expressing a desire to compete in the derby earlier this week. The power-hitting 34-year-old was added to the American League’s roster for the Midsummer Classic earlier this week. He’s been a polarizing figure, to put it mildly, during his Red Sox debut this season. He’s technically still waiting for the appeal process to play out regarding a seven-game suspension for his actions against the Nationals last week. However, his on-field production has been undeniable as he’s on pace for a career-best campaign at the dish, launching 20 round-trippers through 87 first-half games. He’ll be an underdog in the competition, but he’ll be highly motivated to represent Venezuela in the primetime showcase.

Contreras was a surprise snub from the initial rosters that were released Saturday, but the 34-year-old is unsurprisingly going to be a part of the festivities. Even if Contreras was to start serving his suspension — he’s appealing a seven-game ban currently — he should be available to play in Philadelphia.