Cardinals Receive Discouraging Update On Willson Contreras' Return Timeline

St. Louis recently lost one of its top hitters and it will be a while until he can return
May 7, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA;  St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (40) hits a
May 7, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (40) hits a / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
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The St. Louis Cardinals can't seem to catch a break this season.

St. Louis has dealt with a plethora of injuries already this season and recently was dealt a heavy blow. The Cardinals have struggled this season with their anemic offense being the biggest reason why. While this is the case, All-Star catcher Willson Contreras has been a bright spot.

Contreras arguably has been the team's top offensive player this season but now is out due to a fractured arm. Initially, the hope was that he would miss between 6-8 weeks, but it seems like he is more likely to miss at least 10 weeks, according to MLB.com's John Denton.

"Cardinals (catcher/designated hitter) Willson Contreras came through the surgery well to repair his fractured forearm, manager Oli Marmol said," Denton said. "Still no word yet on the extent of the damage in the arm, but Contreras will likely miss more like 10 weeks than the 6-8 weeks stated earlier by Contreras."

The three-time All-Star was great before going down with his injury. Contreras appeared in 31 games for the Cardinals and clubbed six home runs, drove in 12 runs, and slashed .280/.398/.551. St. Louis' offense has struggled and now the team needs to find a way to make up for Contreras' production.

Ten weeks is a long time to miss. If the Cardinals continue to struggle, it wouldn't be surprising to see the team be sellers ahead of the trade deadline. Hopefully, they can find ways to win games soon.

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Patrick McAvoy

PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu