Willson Contreras leaves game after hit by pitch

Manager Chad Tracy indicated that he was encouraged by the initial tests, so Contreras hasn’t been ruled out for Saturday’s game just yet. If he can’t play, then it will lead to a start for either Nick Sogard or Romy Gonzalez.

Contreras homered immediately after Wilyer Abreu tied the game with a solo shot off Luis Medina. It was his 23rd of the year, putting him one away from matching his career high from 2019. He’s tied for 13th in the majors in homers, tied for 15th with 67 RBI and is in fourth place with his .945 OPS.

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.

The five-game suspension begins on Thursday and will see Contreras back for the second game after the All-Star break, where Boston is taking on the Rays. Contreras fouled a pitch off his foot and was likely to sit today either way, so it makes sense to start the clock now. He’ll miss three games against Mets pitching over the weekend, reappear for the Home Run Derby, then return in the second half of a doubleheader against Tampa Bay on Friday.

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.