Masyn Winn Major Update After Early Exit for Cardinals vs. Red Sox

The 2026 Major League Baseball season hasn't been kind to St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn.

First and foremost, Winn has been struggling offensively. In 12 games, Winn has slashed .154/.298/.205 with one RBI, six walks and eight strikeouts. That's not all, though. Winn recently got into a car accident, which was scary. Fortunately, he walked away from the accident alright. He was able to get back into the action in St. Louis' next game after his car accident, but he was pulled due to hip pain. Winn was able to return again, but then was forced to exit the club's matchup on Friday night against the Boston Red Sox.

Winn was hit by a pitch in the third inning on Friday evening and eventually was replaced. After the game, the Cardinals announced that the St. Louis shortstop is dealing with a lower leg bruise, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The Cardinals shortstop was forced to exit on Friday

Apr 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (0) hits a single in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

"Masyn Winn was removed due to a bruise on his left lower leg, per team official. He was hit by a pitch in the third inning," Goold wrote.

After the game, Winn shared that he's moving around well and hopes to play on Saturday, per Jeff Jones of Belleville News-Democrat.

"Masyn Winn said he has a bruise right below the knee on his left leg, what he said was the fibula head. Had it wrapped and was moving around OK. Hopeful he’ll be in there tomorrow. Won’t be a shock if he’s not," Jones wrote.

This is a major update in itself. The fact that he's hopeful that he will play on Saturday is at least a sign that he avoided anything serious.

Winn just can't catch a break right now. He dealt with a knee injury in 2025 that negatively impacted him offensively and required surgery. On the bright side, the Cardinals keep winning. After beating Boston on Friday night, the Cardinals are 8-5 on the season and are tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers for the top spot in the division.

On the negative side, Winn hasn't been able to get it going this season yet. It's hard to do when you have been bitten by the injury bug and also have just had a lot of bad luck. Fortunately, his defense hasn't taken a hit. Right now, Winn is in the 98th percentile in outs above average at three. Winn is playing at an elite level defensively, but the offensive numbers haven't come just yet. Now, we wait to see if he has to miss any time. The fact that he's dealing with a bruise is much more positive than if there was a break or fracture or anything of that nature.

St. Louis will return to the field on Saturday night against Boston over at Busch Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET. The biggest question now is whether Winn will be ready to go for the contest or if he will need to miss time.