Red Sox Announce Willson Contreras News After Injury Scare

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Red Sox Announce Willson Contreras News After Injury Scare

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ezra Lombardi | Last updated Aug 2, 2026 4:22 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox will welcome their best hitter back into the lineup on Sunday night for the series finale in Los Angeles, as they look to put the finishing touches on a sweep of the defending World Series champion Dodgers.

First baseman Willson Contreras, who was forced out of Friday's series opener after he was hit in the helmet with a pitch, is returning to the lineup after missing just one game.

The injury scare came in the top of the third inning after Contreras had already seen a pitch come up and in early in the at-bat. Wearing a 95-mph fastball to the helmet, the veteran slugger collected himself for a moment in the batter's box but was able to walk to first base on his own.

Willson Contreras avoided one pitch then got hit in the head by another. He ultimately left the game pic.twitter.com/EwcHtfbdMo
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 1, 2026

Contreras ran the bases but was removed from the game to be evaluated for a concussion. Following the game, manager Chad Tracy said that he responded well to all testing but was eventually held out of Saturday's contest as he continued to work through the necessary protocol to return.

Sounds like all the tests so far with Willson Contreras have gone good, but they need to see how he responds after sleeping and coming in tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/PSjf0xkG2x
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) August 1, 2026

In his stead, Ceddanne Rafaela blasted two home runs off of Yoshinobu Yamamoto to lift the Red Sox to a 3-2 victory and eighth straight series win, but getting Contreras back will be a huge boost for the club looking to clinch a statement sweep.

The 34-year-old has been a key catalyst for the club's shocking turnaround, belting a team high 23 homers and emerging as a leader in the otherwise young clubhouse. With a .943 OPS, Contreras trails just Yordan Alvarez and Juan Soto among all qualified hitters in his first season with the Red Sox, earning his fourth career All-Star Game appearance and first since 2022.

He will return to his post at first base and slots in at cleanup in Boston's lineup for a 7:20 pm EST first pitch against the Dodgers.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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