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Red Sox's Willson Contreras Offers Optimistic Injury Update
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Red Sox's Willson Contreras Offers Optimistic Injury Update

Originally posted on Athlon Sports  |  By Ezra Lombardi  |  Last updated Sep 19, 2026 6:14 PM ET
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Willson Contreras had his season flash before his eyes on Thursday night when the Boston Red Sox‘s best hitter wore a pitch on the right hand during a check swing against Texas Rangers pitcher Jakob Junis.

Contreras, who has played through several minor ailments this season, immediately showed signs of concern for the injured hand, buckling in pain and quickly leaving the game for a replacement pinch runner. With such little time left in the season, a break in the hand would surely have meant the end of his spectacular first season in Boston.

Luckily, it looks like the veteran slugger avoided this worst-case scenario. Original imaging at the ballpark in Arlington did not reveal a fracture, but as the Red Sox learned earlier in the year with Curtis Mead, swelling in the hand can make it difficult to say for sure even a few days removed from the injury.

Willson Contreras Provides Latest on Injured Hand

Ahead of his second straight absence from the lineup in Tampa Bay on Saturday, Contreras spoke with media to provide a promising update on the progress he has made since suffering the contusion.

“I’m not concerned about having any fracture,” he explained. “Just because I can squeeze a lot better today.”

“The ball hit me right on the knuckle, so when I got hit, I felt my hand going numb and I thought it was bad because that’s a sign of a fracture. That’s why I came out of the game.”

The latest update on Contreras came on Friday when manager Chad Tracy said that his first baseman remained very sore despite X-rays turning up negative. He called it a day-to-day situation and wouldn’t rule him out of the series against the Rays, though it appeared likely to sideline him for at least a few days.

The first step back will be Contreras feeling comfortable squeezing and holding the bat, something that he has been unable to do with the swelling. When asked if he could play first base, he noted that he is unsure if he would be able to throw the ball.

Contreras was activated from the IL on September 13th after a hamstring strain and played in just four games before suffering this latest injury. The 34-year-old belted his 27th home run on Wednesday and still ranks second in the American League behind only Yordan Alvarez with a .905 OPS.

A hopeful timeline could see Contreras return during the final six-game homestand before the regular season ends, allowing him to see some at bats before returning to action in a Wild Card setting. However, it would not be surprising to see him take the additional days to get closer to 100 percent before rejoining the club at the most crucial point of the year.

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

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