May 8: The Cardinals have formally placed Contreras on the 10-day injured list (though he’ll obviously be out well beyond that 10-day minimum). Pages has indeed been recalled from Memphis, the team announced.
May 7: Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras has been diagnosed with a fractured left forearm, the team announced. The club didn’t provide an immediate recovery timeline, but he’s obviously in for a lengthy absence.
Contreras suffered the injury in tonight’s game against the Mets. He took a direct hit on a J.D. Martinez swing as he went to receive a Miles Mikolas offering (video provided on X by MLB.com’s John Denton). Contreras was in obvious pain immediately and testing quickly revealed the broken bone. Contreras told reporters after the game that he’ll undergo surgery and expects to miss six to eight weeks (X link via Denton). Contreras is shooting for a return around the All-Star Break.
In a lineup where almost everyone has underperformed, Contreras has been the Cardinals’ bright spot. He’s hitting .280/.398/.551 through 128 plate appearances. Among catchers with 100+ plate appearances, only Ryan Jeffers has been narrowly better by measure of wRC+. Contreras has also been by far the best player in the St. Louis lineup, handily leading the team in on-base percentage, slugging and home runs.
Young backstop Iván Herrera will step into the primary catching job. The former top prospect is hitting .215/.264/.369 over 72 trips to the plate. Pedro Pages is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets that Pages was pulled midway through his game in Triple-A, suggesting he’ll be recalled tomorrow.
Contreras is in the second season of a five-year free agent deal. He’s a .266/.366/.481 hitter in a little more than 600 plate appearances as a Cardinal.
Huge loss for Cards. – I wonder if they trade for a low level C since their minors lack it as Pages has not shown much in AAA
Why? They aren’t competing this year. Contreras will be back in a few months. Pages can catch once or twice a week until then.
It is still a huge loss competing or not. When the Pirates or A’s have one of their better players go done it is stil a big loss for them.
I get the huge loss. I just don’t think they need to make a trade to cover for it.
Why rush Pages progress, when you can give him more seasoning and confidence at AAA
Rush his progress? He has hardly been playing in Memphis, so I wouldn’t really worry about it. He’s not going to hit well here but the defense he provides is pretty decent. He’s able to contribute right away and he’s going to get the same playing time he’s already been getting.
lol, How is passing him up and trading for some scrub going to give him “more confidence”? The Cardinals are garbage this year, so you might as well play the kid and get him some experience.
He hasn’t been playing regularly because he’s been yanked back and forth between Memphis & St. Louis. He’s the everyday catcher in AAA if there’s not a need in the Majors
They still have Jimmy Crooks and Bernal as internal options.
Maybe we can just give you Navauez for your troubles? I’m sure all NYM fans would be fine with that
Getting hit by the backswing is one thing. If you’re getting hit on the initial swing, that’s on you, I’m sorry to say.
Well, if the team is telling you to move closer to the plate to get more low strikes…according to John Denton (click the link in the article).
It’s funny reading that and then hearing the announcers say he was caught “on the biiig back swing”. No, he was caught reaching for strikes.
Yeah, he reacts before the backswing ever reaches him. Wish him well. That stinks. Feel robbed off seeing him and his bro tear up the league or both at the AS Game together.
For sure. That would have been great. Especially with them on rival teams.
Yeah Chip kind of jumped the gun on the Cards’ tv call saying biiig backswing.
Chip is an idiot like that.
Yeah, Cardinals announcers are huge homers, which is what the FO wants to pacify the sheep.
It can be both. Contreras may have been too close, but no one else that night hit him on a backswing. Martinez swing may have a long finish, but I don’t think he has whacked anyone else. Just seems like the combination led to this conclusion.
Ah-h, did you watch the game or see the video. It was the initial swing and not the back swing. The announcer jumped the gun and assumed it was the back swing. Watch the video.
Wrong in many ways. Watch the play before making a fool of yourself.
What’s the timeline on an injury of this sort?
Probably depends on the severity of the fracture but, what? 6-8 weeks?
Pretty long. For all intents and purposes, it’s a broken arm which is brutal for all positions but especially a catcher considering it’s his catching arm. Depends on the severity but in a best case scenario, like 6-8 weeks. And if it’s really bad (the way Contreras reacted suggested to me it is) upwards of 3 months and that’s just to resume baseball activities. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s back in games in September.
His entire forearm bent. It looked bad.
6-8 weeks would be very optimistic. It needs to heal, then strength needs to be built back up not just catching for long periods of time but also hitting. I agree with the poster that said it could be upwards of 3 months, in fact, I think that’s likely to be more reasonable than 8 weeks especially if we’re out of contention at that point.
Sounds like 6-8 weeks…..
Well I’m not a Doctor or anything but with surgery 6-8 weeks seems entirely optimistic. And then lets not forget he’s going to need time to strengthen it up again to even get near where he was when he got hurt. Not to mention getting hit with foul tips, and blocking balls that could set it back. I wish him the best but I don’t really miss him.
Herrera will be their primary catcher and Pages will be his backup!! I see a trade be coming that has major league experience!!
In an attempt to help catcher Willson Contreras get more low strikes, the #STLCards have him moved up closer to the plate. However, JD Martinez’s bat hit Contreras on the left forearm during his swing.
Most catchers are up on the plate now to get low strikes called. Catcher’s interference is rampant as well as catchers being hit by backswings. Automatic balls and strikes can’t come soon enough.
There’s no better argument for automated balls and strikes. What does it say about umpires that they are so easily deceived?
That they suck and we need an automated strike zone.
Yall STL Cardinal fans should be calling for Marmol and the king of mediocrity, Mozeliak to be fired along with everyone attached to them. Their whole organization is off, vibes wise and otherwise.
Some coach moved Contreras a multi time all star and WS champ up to “steal more strikes” and got his arm fractured.
Look at all the trades they’ve done since Mo took over and how the players blossomed since the switch. “The Cardinal Way” or whatever they call it nowadays isn’t working in an era of personal coaches and trainers. I’m no Cardinal fan by any means but it pains me to see a team I grew up watching turn into a hopeless cess pool of pond scum.
This doesn’t have anything to do with them. This is about a brutal injury to a player so take your bitching somewhere else. Very disrespectful.
No hes all right and im a card fan management neeeds to change yest ive pretty much givin up and just watch the royals…
“In an attempt to help catcher Willson Contreras get more low strikes, the #STLCards have him moved up closer to the plate. However, JD Martinez’s bat hit Contreras on the left forearm during his swing.” Sure sounds like coaching and or managements creation of a problem to me.
Yeah, you know the rules: when a player goes down with injury, our job as baseball serfs is to send up thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery. I hear that’s why Bellinger returned so quickly – a group of dutiful fans prayed their *sses off, and it worked. I’ve been lectured often about criticizing Kris Bryant for his fragile nature and inability/unwillingness to man up, so I established a shrine and spend hours every day praying hard for Bryant to man up for a change. So far no results.
Cards used to be able to hide behind the weak NL central schedule until last year. Now they have to play AL teams more and NL central teams less and their won-loss record tanks.
Weak central? The weakest divisions in MLB at this point of the season are NLWest and AL West. The NL West has one team above .500.
Pitch clock strikes again!
I thought it was the bat.
Team should probably trade anyone on a short deal with value
Willson’s perennial trip to the IL. Hope he’s back soon.
Now, the Cardinals have a triple A lineup. They need to hypnotize Arenado that he is playing at Coors field
Why pick on Arenado? Now that Contreras is out, he’s the only one hitting recently.
Arenado is a bum
A bum going to the hall of fame.
The only consistent hitter on the team is now out. It’s going to be a battle with Pittsburgh for last place. Are Gray and Helsley traded before the deadline?
This should be a sign. We should trade them while they’re healthy. And Kittredge too.
My only problem is that I don’t trust MO to get anything of real value for them.
I bet when you go skydiving, you pull the rip cord and jump at 50 ft.
It’s not still early, but there are so many hitters underperforming at the same tim. Expect some regression towards the mean as players 25-33 start performing to their career norms.
There are just some positions that are killing them – mainly the outfield. However, I doubt Nootbar, Walker, Carlson, Scott, Burleson, and Donovan are collectively .200 hitters at the end of the season.
I watched the tape. Mea culpa. He wasn’t hit on the backswing – it was on the actual swing. That’s on Contreras and the Cardinals.
Absolutely correct.
They’ll be up to .220 easily.
tools of ignorance
We’re not rebuilders;
We just lose a lot.
As bad as it is right now, Cardinals could be as bad as the White Sox.
The White Sox are clearly rebuilding. We’re actually trying. We just suck at it. Evidenced by the fact that we lost 2 out 3 to the White Sox at home.
@Warden of the North – They did just lose 2 of 3 to the White Sox at home.
Yeah, I don’t know what to tell you Cardsfan57 and DonOsbourne. You guys had players come up from your system and perform at the big league level for what felt like forever, and now it seems like you guys have a bunch of duds on your team. It sucks guys hang in there until Mo leaves it seems…
I know a fairly recent Cy Young winner with a 1.96 ERA in Mexico so far this year who they can sign right now for the league minimum…
I have no issue with Bauer, but I hope you’re learning more than one lesson from whatever it is he’s got going on.
A 1.96 ERA in a league of washed up Major Leaguers and washed out minor leaguers. Problem here is he’s not a Catcher…
@Rsox 1.96 is 1.96. It’s not like he has refused an opportunity to face better competition in an attempt to prop up his stats.
You know the league will never take him back. Bauer is getting closer and closer to making it back to the States though (literally), so maybe he will eventually make it to the Long Island Ducks.
Anything involving any sort of abuse is a quick no go for most mlb teams…at least in the last 10 years.
@runningwithnailclippers That’s not true at all a bunch of dudes with a history “involving any sort of abuse” are still in the league. And before his second offense last year Dodgers fans defended Julio Urias like he was their first born child.
Hahaha. McGriff: Have you considered changing your handle to SanctimoniousTwat?
@ B-rocker
Unfortunately what I posted is fact, and therefore you’re part of the brigade of hypocrisy. Never let the facts get in the way of your no doubt profound hurt feelings because the facts don’t suit your story, yet here you are calling me “sanctimonioustwat”? That’s hilarious and quite ironic…
Take your bigoted morality and stick it
People that have actually been convicted/admitted to abuse are currently playing in the league whereas Bauer was set up by a con artist who was dumb enough to text people about it. MLB went after Bauer, in part, because they were mad at him for exposing spidertac and MLB’s reluctance to do anything about it.
@runningwithnailclippers
I think we all know the league won’t have him. We disagree about why, and a lot of people are getting this wrong in my opinion. He’s blacklisted because he made it easy. He publicly challenged the integrity of the league at every turn. I happen to empathize with how his role in the sticky stuff situation panned out. As others have already said there are several bad men playing in MLB right now. None of those guys upstaged the league like bauer did. He kind of made himself into a rich baseball wanderer and to a large degree I believe that was on purpose.
JD Martinez is focused on the pitch during the video. He swings at a pitch, again clearly timing the incoming offering, and apparently (given the result) connects with Contreras’ left forearm. How do you blame JD Martinez? He can be clearly seen focusing completely on the pitch. His initial swing hits the receiving arm of the catcher before the ball gets past the plate. The only explanation is Contreras set up incorrectly. It seems a coaching mistake since how many MLB catchers have been hit on the forearm by an initial swing?
Martinez was 4-6 inches behind the back line of the batters box… but no one is mentioning that.
Please clarify. The video on X seems to show Martinez’ back foot on or in front of the back line of the batter’s box.
I can’t post a picture on here, but I have a very clear one. How can I show you the picture?
I posted the Pic on the X link…
The pic you’re referring to is likely a deep fake. During the game the Mets replay of the swing showed Martinez was legally in the box. 4-6 inches out of the back of the box is absurd.
This one? That doesn’t show the line at all.
This one seems to show his back leg on the line.
mlb.com/video/willson-contreras-exits-after-catche…
It also seems to show Contreras right foot on the backline of the opposite batters box meaning his glove hand is far out in front of that. Now wonder he got hit.
Go to the 22-23 second mark of that video and go frame by frame. You will see where Contreras glove was at. That is on him and whatever coaches told him to setup that far forward.
Yes. At 35 seconds. Field level view… take another look. You can see his foot well behind the line.
Look at the video in this thread. 35 second mark…
google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j…
See the video in this thread, then tell me how absurd I am
google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j…
Drop it.,
You are wrong, no matter how many times you repeat your insipid rant.
As a catcher, it’s your job to be aware of where the hitter is. If he’s too close, call timeout. It’s not like hitters are inching back once they set their stance. Anyway, this sucks for WC and Cards fan.
Because you are wrong and he wasn’t out of the batters box. Do you really think you are the only person in the world who would have noticed it?
google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j…
Thanks for sending that. It shows him clearly in the box with the catcher set up on the other box with his hand over the plate. I don’t know why you’re arguing this. You do realize as games go on that chalk lines go away as they are played on?
I have no idea what you are looking at.the line is still there, and his foot is behind it. Did you read the article. The only picture showing him on the line is from a different game…
No I didn’t read the article. The ads spammed my phone. The white line in his batters box is still there and his foot is in front of it. It is 100% on him and the Cardinals. Stop trying to blame someone else for them being dumb.
His foot is clearly on the backline of the box when he starts his swing. .
google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j…
Ah yes, fansided clickbait. The source of objective truth.
Watch the SNY feed. 29:40. Martinez’ foot is on the line at the time of the pitch. His foot is entirely within the box when the swing makes contact.
On the contrary, Contreras’ right foot is very nearly in the LHH batters box. More forward than he’s been setting up for other pitches. And you’ll also see him reach significantly farther forward to receive this pitch in particular. That’s why in this case, he was caught flush on the forearm. His glove is literally over the plate at the time of contact. His arm is nearly fully extended.
Why are you ignoring that to fuel homer clickbait?
Sadness and the need to blame others.
Holy ouch Batman. Hope he isn’t out too long.
that looked absolutely awful
he was in so much pain
hope he heals quick and easy!
Wow only guy Cards had that was hitting. Looking bad for St Lou. Bad owner Bad GM Bad manager and everybody forgot how to hit. Bad team and I’m a long time fan but it is what it is
Last season was the Cardinals worst season since 1995. After all the pitching additions it has done literally nothing for them and losing Contreras is a huge blow to an already sputtering offense
The pitching has been okay. The bullpen has been very good. The offense has been terrible. Yes, Contreras has been the only consistent hitter on the team.
Why do people keep saying Contreras is the only consistent hitter on the team? Arenado has been great…he’s just not hitting bombs. Donovan has been decent enough too. Wynn looked great and then fell off the last week or so. Do these commenters even watch the games?
I wouldn’t be calling Arenado great. He’s been okay but certainly underperforming expectations. Our hitting sucks.
WC has a wRC+ of 171, Arenado is at 116. The difference between WC and Arenado is about the same as the difference between Arenado and Goldschmidt.
Arenado hits when it matters which is why he leads the team in RBIs. Definitely underperforming though and our overall hitting definitely sucks.
That was a terrible injury. His reaction to that traumatic injury and that the pain was that intense for so long was good indication to viewers it was fractured. perhaps in multiple places. Figure he might need surgery.
2024 Cardinals season – RIP
I was listening to the Mets announcers during the game (you can probably guess why), and Gary Cohen said that William Contreras had a game for the Brewers last year where he interfered with JD Martinez (Dodgers) twice in one game.
This is what drives me crazy about front office analytics. They are smart enough to move your catcher too close to the plate (for the all-important “framed strike”), but they offer no guidance (apparently) along the lines of “stay back from JD Martinez–he’s dangerous.” They give just as much bad advice as good, but no one in the Cardbot organization ever holds them accountable. Certainly not their robot manager Marmol–he’s not a manager, he’s just a conduit from the front office and front office computer analysts.
And that, kids, is why Yadi won’t be coming back. He knows that a coaching staff needs to ignore the bad that comes from the analytics department.. (One-time MOTY Shildt knew as well, that’s what got him fired.)
Some time take a look at Oli’s resume. You can’t find many guys with less experience than he has. He was hired just to be a conduit from the FO. I doubt if he makes any decision by himself–probably the lineup is decided by committee. They probably give Oli a spreadsheet to use (or maybe an Android app) for using the bullpen. Logically, a front office would only hire a guy like that if they really believed that managerial experience counted for zero. Fire the Cardbots! Bring back the Cardinals!
Time to poach Bagwell from the ‘Stros!
Oli is Mo’s errand boy and nothing more. I don’t think Mo makes decisions during the game. But there’s a billion percent chance all the data he give Oli is essentially Mo saying “do it this way”.
A friend of mine is always wondering why the Cards have such a cluster bleep lineup. It’s because a bunch of analytics minions tell Mo “this is how to do this” and then Mo sends the data to Oli and says “do this”
The game manages Oli, and it’s why he’s not good at this. But Mo and Grisch DON”T want a manager who’s gonna think for himself. It’s why Schildt got fired.
Until Mo is gone and they gut the whole FO, not a whole lot is going to change.
Mostly agree. I suspect that as long as Yadi was there, there might have been a decent balance between Yadi’s intuition and Mo’s analytics experts. (Especially see A.J. Pierzynski’s comments on YouTube about how Yadi was running the locker room when he was there in 2014). The analytics would probably come down from on-high, but I can see Yadi just shaking his head saying no, don’t do it that way, that’s stupid. Yadi wasn’t carrying his weight in the batter’s box at the end, but he was still leading in the locker room. (But even that last year, he mysteriously would cutout and leave the team and it seemed he’d had enough.) Then Maddux left, and Holiday changed his mind. Those were bad signs.
I don’t despise Mo as much as some do, I think his front office still makes some smart moves, but the zero-manager concept is weird, and the chickens have come home to roost with last year and seemingly this year.. Especially after the Cardinals had so much success with LaRussa, you’d think he’d want a strong manager, not a weak one. But each manager they choose is weaker than the one before. Gotta have that power I guess, my way or the highway.
They aren’t smart enough to realize the couple strikes they gain is negated significantly by the catcher getting beat up more than they already are. Same thing as people saying a walk is as good as a hit and watching runners stranded on base over and over again.
The Cardinals season has not been going well and now this. Good luck to Contreras and hope he heals quickly and well.
Relax Cardinal fans, MO and his MUPPET Marmol got everything under control, they have that last place finish all wrapped up. The loyal Fans need to stay home, maybe an empty stadium will get their attention. The DeWitts are happy their wallets are still being filled.. They need to fire MO and Marmol to give the fans a thread of hope and bring Yadi back to help out.
Yadi is too busy making money in PR to actually work at baseball again.
Miles Mikolas commented on the incident: “He’s close to the plate trying to steal strikes. You know, as pitchers we appreciate that, but you know, if we knew he was going to get hurt, I’d rather throw all balls. … Thinking about it after the fact, I think there should be a line back there, you know, for the catchers and just have them stay behind the line. That way, no one can get any closer than the next guy. And if you put them back there in a spot that’s deemed safe, and you know, that might help guys.”
Gee. If only they knew he was going to be hurt…
For all of those blaming Contreras.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j…
The only thing hurt worse than that forearm are your feelings, bud.
Thoughts and prayers for a quick recovery.
Seek help.
It can prevent nightmares about imaginary chalk lines.
And about fake blaming behavior.
Arenado and Goldy on trading block now?
At their salaries and lack of future, who’d want them?
Hard to watch the poor guy’s awful pain reaction, especially when one considers that catchers like him are among the toughest humans on the planet.
Cause here can be assigned, but blame is another matter. I’d leave that concept completely out – except maybe to use it to implement some firm boundary line so that this never happens again.
Another argument for the ump-free strike zone is that it eliminates mitt-moving framing. Never been a fan while I get it that others like it.
Like framing, this was a competitor angling for a legal advantage but paid a steep price.
Well that’s one way to bench Contreras. Last year they got crap from everyone for benching him. This year they tell him to inch a little closer to the plate when JD gets up there… Yeah that’s the ticket!
I hope younger brother William Contreras ignores any messages Brewers coaching gives him about stealing strikes this way. No sense in risking injury and contract dollar$.