St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a broken arm sustained during a freak catcher's interference play.
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras is facing an extended absence due to a broken arm suffered in a bizarre accident during Tuesday's game against the New York Mets.
In the top of the second inning, Contreras was behind the plate when Mets' designated hitter J.D. Martinez swung at an 85 mph breaking ball from Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas. Martinez's bat struck Contreras near the wrist, causing the catcher to collapse in pain.
Contreras rolled around in agony before standing up and holding his arm, his screams indicating the severity of the injury. Manager Oliver Marmol and a trainer rushed to his aid, but it was evident that Contreras could not continue playing.
X-rays later revealed a fracture in Contreras's left forearm. "It was numb, and I knew it wasn't right. Once I tried to do some motion stuff, there was some cracking in [the arm] and I knew it was bad," Contreras said after the game.
The injury has dealt a significant blow to the Cardinals, who signed Contreras to a five-year, $87.5 million contract last season. Contreras has been a valuable asset to the team, both offensively and defensively.
Contreras had doubled in the first inning of Tuesday's game, contributing to St. Louis' three-run outburst. However, the Mets rallied to win the game 7-5, extending the Cardinals' losing streak to three games.
Contreras' absence will force the Cardinals to adjust their catching rotation, with backup Andrew Knizner likely to take over the starting role. Knizner, 28, has appeared in nine games this season, batting .231 with no homers and five RBIs.
In addition to the pain and missed playing time, Contreras' injury also comes with the emotional toll of being sidelined. "I'm really upset missing. I know that it's going to be tough for me to watch the games and not out there with the guys," Contreras said.
The Cardinals' catching situation could become even more challenging if Knizner also suffers an injury. The team has Matt Wieters, a 15-year veteran, on its taxi squad and could promote him to the active roster if necessary.
The injury has raised questions about the potential risks associated with catchers setting up closer to the batter to improve their framing abilities. This strategy, while beneficial for framing pitches, can also increase the likelihood of catcher's interference calls and potential injuries.
"It's a huge risk, and it was talked about in the offseason and a topic in discussion because there were more [catcher's interference calls], because they are evaluated on framing," Marmol said.
