Willson Contreras experienced some unfortunate luck during Tuesday night’s game.
The St. Louis Cardinals catcher was struck on his lower left wrist by J.D. Martinez’s bat during a swing in the second inning of the game against the New York Mets at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri.
Contreras showed immediate signs of pain following the incident, and the reason became quickly apparent.
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The Cardinals soon confirmed that Contreras had sustained a fractured left arm as a result of the hit.
Compounding the situation, this injury stemmed from a controversial coaching strategy. The Cardinals had instructed Contreras to position himself closer to the plate, aiming to assist pitchers in earning strike calls on lower pitches. Unfortunately, this adjustment also increased his risk of being hit by a swinging bat.
Before the injury forced him out of the game, Contreras had already made a significant impact, hitting a double and scoring a run. He has been a standout performer for the Cardinals this season, boasting 10 doubles, 6 home runs, a batting average of .274, and an OPS of .931.
This season marks Contreras’ second with the Cardinals after spending his entire previous MLB career with the Chicago Cubs.
