Willson Contreras Exit Sparks Another Scare for Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox got hit with another brutal injury scare on Tuesday with Willson Contreras exiting.

Apr 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) looks on during the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox seemingly were trending in the right direction by the end of their series against the St. Louis Cardinals. But things have taken another negative turn.

Boston won four out of six games against the Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers and entered its three-game set against the Minnesota Twins with two straight wins. The vibes completely shifted around the team, though. Garrett Crochet allowed 11 total runs in under two innings of work on Monday. Boston would go on to lose. On Tuesday, Sonny Gray allowed five runs in four innings and put Boston in a hole early.

That's not all, though. Boston first baseman Willson Contreras was forced to exit the contest early on Tuesday due to lower back tightness. Tim Healey of The Boston Globe was among a handful of reporters to share the news from the team on social media after Contreras' exit.

The Red Sox had another scare on Tuesday in the lineup

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

"Willson Contreras update: He has low back tightness, the Red Sox say," Healey wrote.

If there is one guy the club can't afford to lose right now, it would be Contreras. He's one of the team's best overall hitters. Right now, he's slashing .298/.444/.491 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 17 games played. That's not all, though. The Red Sox are thin in general at first base. On Tuesday, it was announced that Triston Casas is dealing with a left abdominal strain and will be out for "a while."

If Contreras is forced to miss any time, all of a sudden you're looking at either Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Andruw Monasterio getting significant time at the spot with Romy González out as well. Boston can't afford that right now. The offense has already been stalling so far this season. Contreras is one of the few bright spots, along with Wilyer Abreu. If the Red Sox lose Contreras for any amount of time, it would be worth looking to free agency to see if there is anyone out there who could give this team some cheap depth.

That's thinking a bit ahead, but that just goes to show how important Contreras is to this team. Boston can't afford to lose him. As more information comes out, we will provide it here. Hopefully, this was just a case of the club not taking a risk. We should find out more in the very near future.