The Yankees may be lining up for a useful break as they prepare to open the Wild Card series against the Red Sox next Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.
Boston first baseman Wilson Contreras is still dealing with a hand injury, and his status for Game 1 is in doubt. He said Thursday that he has not been able to swing for the last two days, leaving his availability for the series opener very much up in the air.
“I’m working hard with the trainers, the hand is slowly getting better,” Contreras said, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. “But I haven’t been able to swing the last two days.
I’ll be honest with the team. I know Tuesday is a really important game.
It’s a really important series, and I’ll be completely honest with the team.”
Contreras was hit on the knuckle between the ring finger and pinkie on his right hand one week ago. He has put together a strong season overall, hitting .276 with 27 homers, 81 RBI and a .905 OPS.
Against the Yankees, though, his track record has been much quieter. He has hit .149 with 11 hits, 2 homers, 9 RBI and 4 runs scored in 20 career games against New York, per Statmuse.
Boston is still holding out hope that he can get back in time, but manager Chad Tracy said the soreness remains.
“It’s subtle improvements, but still a little sore,” said Red Sox manager Chad Tracy. “So we’re just still working through it, obviously with the goal of getting him back for the postseason.
Trying really hard to get him in for [the final game of the regular season]. If there’s one game remaining to get him in there, he typically finds his way pretty quick.”
The Red Sox’s schedule has also been compressed, with a split doubleheader Friday at 1:05 and 6:05, followed by the third game of the series Saturday at 7:15. They do not have a game scheduled for Sunday.
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