Willson Contreras gave the Red Sox the answer they were hoping for during the All-Star break.
For a few days, Boston had two separate reasons to wonder whether Contreras would be available for the festivities. One was the suspension that was already looming, though it didn’t affect his eligibility for the Home Run Derby or the All-Star Game. The other was the contusion on his left foot, which had created a real question about how healthy he actually was.
That concern traces back to June 8, when Contreras fouled a ball off his own foot during Boston’s series against the Chicago White Sox. He stayed in long enough to finish the at-bat and made it to first base, though slowly, before leaving before the inning ended because of the pain.
Boston left him out of the lineup on June 9 because of the injury, and that happened to be the same day his suspension was announced by the league, which caused some confusion about why he was out. Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe confirmed that he would have missed the game anyway because he was resting (subscription required).
Naturally, there was some fear that the injury might be worse than it looked. The Red Sox can’t really afford to lose Contreras to the injured list, even briefly. But his showing in the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game eased those worries.
Contreras was a force in the Derby, launching 13 homers on 20 pitches to move into the second round against Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber. He kept rolling there, too, finishing just one homer behind Schwarber’s second-round total after an impressive surge against one of the game’s premier power bats.
After the event, Contreras told Rob Bradford of WEEI that his foot was sore, but that he didn’t expect to miss any time once he returned to the Red Sox.
Boston’s second half begins July 17 with a doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays, and Contreras will be available for the second game. The first game will count as the fifth game of his suspension.
That’s a significant relief for a Red Sox team that has leaned hard on his offense. With Boston now in the playoff hunt, keeping Contreras healthy and in the lineup as much as possible matters plenty.
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