My heart dropped in the eighth inning on Thursday. Watching Willson Contreras go down after getting hit by a pitch is exactly what we don’t need right now. We are deep in a pennant race, and losing your best hitter is a nightmare scenario.
The good news is that the worst case didn’t happen. Per MLB.com, X-rays on his right hand came back negative. Interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters that “He’s got a bruise on his hand and some swelling.” While we can breathe a small sigh of relief, it doesn’t change the fact that he is officially day to day.
A scary moment in Texas
The play itself was brutal. In the top of the eighth inning, Jakob Junis threw a 92.3 mph sinker that caught Contreras right on the hand. According to MLB.com, the veteran first baseman went to the ground in pain. He actually left the game shortly after the hit. It was a terrifying sight because he has dealt with broken bones in that same hand before. Contreras admitted to reporters that “It felt like a fracture.” He also said his hand stayed numb for about five minutes, which is why he had to exit the game.
The stats show just how much this hurts our lineup. This season, Contreras has been our engine. He leads the team with 27 home runs and has a massive 155 OPS+. He also has 81 RBIs. If he sits out, the middle of our order loses its most dangerous weapon.
We cannot lose this battle
I am frustrated for him. He just got back from a left hamstring strain after being activated from the 10-day IL. It is hard to find any rhythm when you are constantly getting injured. He even mentioned that “[Junis] apologized to me. I mean, that was nice of him,” but the damage is done. He is clearly upset about the situation. “I don’t know, I’m just frustrated,” Contreras said.
The bigger issue is the lack of protection. Contreras said it himself: “If nobody [does] anything about it, I am going to keep getting hit.” He is right. When a hitter is dominating like he is, pitchers are going to try to back him off the plate. If the coaching staff doesn’t find a way to keep him from getting targeted, our postseason hopes might vanish. We have nine games left and a magic number of three, but we can’t win without our star.
