The hits just keep on coming for the St. Louis Cardinals as they face yet another significant injury in 2024. Catcher Willson Contreras left the Redbirds’ game on May 7 against the New York Mets with a broken arm.
Contreras suffered the injury in the second inning of the contest when he was hit in the arm by a JD Martinez swing. On May 8, the Cardinals officially placed Contreras on the injured list and recalled 25-year-old catcher Pedro Pagés from Triple-A Memphis.
Contreras, 31, is expected to be out at least 6-8 weeks, according to a report from MLB.com’s John Denton.
A Huge Loss For the Redbirds
Anytime a team loses their starting catcher, it’s cause for concern. But Contreras’ injury is double jeopardy for St. Louis, as he’s been the club’s most consistent hitter in 2024. Before getting hurt, he was hitting .280 with six home runs and 12 RBI. For a team that’s only averaging 3.5 runs per game so far this season and is struggling on offense, it was a significant blow.
In the top of the second, the Mets’ Martinez caught Contreras’ left arm on his forward swing – rather than the more common backswing. The catcher immediately grabbed his forearm and was attended to by the Cardinals’ training staff.
X-rays later revealed the severity of the injury. Contreras spoke to the media later about what happened in the play.
“It was numb, and I knew it wasn’t right,” Contreras said. “Once I tried to do some motion stuff, there was some cracking in [the arm] and I knew it was bad.”
Ivan Herrera will take over starting duties in place of Contreras. The 23-year-old has a .232 batting average with three home runs and 11 RBI in 69 at-bats this season. Contreras said he offered the youngster plenty of encouragement in assuming the role.
“[Herrera] came in asking me how I was feeling, and when I said I had a fracture, he put his head down,” Contreras said. “The one thing I told him was, ‘You don’t need to put your head down; you need to pick me up.’ He’s really good, and he needs to keep the same focus he’s had since spring training.”
Contreras Adds to the Cardinals’ Injury Troubles
Contreras’ injury is just another in a long line for the Cardinals in 2024. Even before they got out of the gate, the team left spring training shorthanded, with their staff ace, Sonny Gray, and three key position players unable to make the opening day roster.
Utilityman Tommy Edman has yet to debut for the ‘Birds this season, and outfielders Dylan Carlson and Lars Nootbaar missed significant time before making their first appearance.
Add to that the recent back injury to pitcher Steven Matz – the only lefthander in the starting rotation – and the team’s training staff continues to stay busy.
That’s not good news for a club that finished 71-91 in 2023 and was looking for a big turnaround this season. They began 15-21 through their first 36 games to start the 2024 campaign – last in the National League Central.
Manager Oliver Marmol will try to right the ship, as the Cardinals begin a seven-game road trip against the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Angels.
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