Red Sox Announce Willson Contreras Update After Early Exit vs. Twins

There are two players the Boston Red Sox simply can't afford to lose on offense right now: Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu.

That's not to say it would be good to lose other guys like Roman Anthony, Trevor Story, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, or anyone else. Losing anyone would be brutal right now. But Contreras and Abreu have been the club's two best hitters so far this season. Contreras is the best from the right side, and Abreu is the best from the left side. Rafaeala is up there with Contreras from the right side.

On Tuesday night, there was a scare, though, involving Contreras. He was forced to exit the club's loss against the Minnesota Twins due to lower back tightness. After the game, Red Sox manager Alex Cora fortunately said that he believes it's "nothing serious," and the team will find out more on Wednesday morning, as transcribed by MassLive.com's Christopher Smith.

The Red Sox Slugger Left Wednesday's Game Early

Apr 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) wears the green monster mask after hitting a two run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow morning,” Cora said. “[Head athletic trainer Brandon Henry] feels like it’s nothing serious, but obviously we have to be careful. He’s so important to us and we got Thursday off, so we’ll see how he feels tomorrow. And we decide if he goes.”

Cora also noted that the injury came on a grounder to first base, rather than from swinging.

“It was a ground ball to him,” Cora continued. “He kind of reached down and I saw it. I was like, ‘Eh, that didn’t look great.’ And then he felt it throughout the game. So we decided to take him out.”

If he needs to miss any time at all, the Red Sox would be in bad shape. He's slashing .298/.444/.491 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 17 games while also playing elite defense at first base. He's actually in the 99th percentile in outs above average over at first base. So, if the Red Sox lost Contreras for any time, they'd be losing their top right-handed hitter and a Gold Glove-caliber defender over at first base. With Triston Casas on the shelf right now with "a while" to go before he can return, the Red Sox can't afford to lose another first baseman.

If Contreras is in the lineup on Wednesday, that will be a very good sign. If he's not in the lineup, then all eyes will turn to Cora until he gives another update before the series finale against the Minnesota Twins.

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