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News Update: Cardinals Star Catcher’s Season in Jeopardy After Devastating Fracture
Saint Louis — The St. Louis Cardinals were dealt their cruelest blow of the season one month into it.
Tuesday night in the top of the second game, J.D. Martinez of the New York Mets struck starting catcher Willson Contreras hard, breaking his left arm. He is scheduled for surgery, with a six-to eight-week first recuperation period. By the All-Star break, Contreras hoped to return to the major leagues.
With his left arm bandaged and in a sling, Contreras told reporters following the game, “This is the most pain I’ve been through, for sure.” “I could tell it was a bad situation right away.”
Contact made it obvious that Contreras was seriously injured. As soon as manager Oli Marmol and head trainer Adam Olsen ran out of the home dugout, he instantly cried out and slumped in agony. Clutching his left arm, Contreras collapsed to the ground next to the dugout, obviously in anguish both physically and mentally. Before leaving the game, he stayed there for a few minutes.
Martinez was given the leadoff position due to catcher interference. With Contreras sidelined, backup catcher Iván Herrera assumed responsibility at the plate and is anticipated to be the team’s starting catcher going forward. Prior to Wednesday’s game, Pedro Pagés, who has appeared in five games for St. Louis this season, will be activated and recalled from Triple-A Memphis.
Man, this one’s hard,” Marmol remarked. “(Contreras) had been performing admirably. He is an intense rival. He is a huge asset to the team both in terms of his abilities and his competitive spirit. Seeing him go down is undoubtedly difficult. I genuinely feel sorry for him. He was putting together a pretty good year and was very helpful to us.
The team’s most productive hitter thus far has been Contreras, who doubled and scored during the Cardinals’ three-run first inning. With Contreras exempt, the Cardinals had one of the weakest team offenses in the National League going into the game. Probably the squad’s most valuable position player this season, he led the team in home runs (six) in OPS (.949).
For the time being, St. Louis will depend on rookie backstop Herrera and hope that their struggling offense finds its way. The Cardinals finished six games below.500 for the first time this season after losing 7-5 to the Mets.
The All-Star catcher Contreras, who was their main offensive weapon this season and a dependable core leader, was their greater loss.
With a smile, Contreras stated, “I’m really optimistic.” “I understand it will be difficult for me to watch games and not hang out with the guys, but I’m going to try my hardest to be there, support one another, and cheer them on because that’s the best thing I can do.”
