Red Sox Lose Willson Contreras to Hand Injury on Sunday: What We Know

A tough blow for Sunday, but we don't know how tough long-term just yet

Apr 29, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) tosses his bat after hitting a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras left Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays after just one inning, and now the team has to hold its breath.

Contreras was hit hard on the right hand by a 94.2 mph fastball from Rays starter Nick Martinez. He was attended to by a trainer and wound up taking his base for the last two batters of the bottom of the first, but then was replaced by Andruw Monasterio on defense for the top of the second inning.

Covering the final eight innings of Sunday's game is one thing, but losing Contreras' bat for any extended period of time would be an abject disaster for a Red Sox team that has barely found any other sources of offense this season. The wait for news in this case is going to be a stressful one.

What Red Sox announced on Contreras' condition

May 4, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) makes a catch in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

A few innings after Contreras exited, the Red Sox announced he was dealing with a "right hand contusion," per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. X-Rays would virtually always be a part of the assessment process in cases like these, and we don't know the results of those as of early Sunday afternoon.

Contreras also had a left hand/wrist injury that was bothering him early in the week during the team's series against the Detroit Tigers. This is a much different, and potentially more serious issue.

The Red Sox were already dealing with the loss of 21-year-old star outfielder Roman Anthony, who was placed on the 10-day injured list on Thursday after injuring his right hand on a swing in his first at-bat on Monday.

Even if Anthony misses the minimum of 10 days, the damage would be compounded if Contreras had to go on the IL as well. And if X-rays show anything beyond a bad bruise, Contreras missing more than 10 days would be a virtual certainty.

For now, waiting is the only thing that the Red Sox can do. At a time when Boston really needed to start hitting its stride, health has become one of the team's biggest impediments.