Red Sox Suffer Big Injury Blow as Willson Contreras Lands on IL

The Boston Red Sox are going to be without the services of their most consistent hitter from the 2026 season so far for at least the next week, or so.

Willson Contreras came out of Sunday's series finale against the New York Yankees due to a lingering tight hamstring that acted up. Plus, the Red Sox were 6-0 at the time, so they didn't risk any further injury to the All-Star slugger.

Now, Boston is placing the 34-year-old on the Injured List. Boston announced the news on X on Monday afternoon and promoted Mickey Gasper back up to the big leagues just one day after sending him down to the minors.

Willson Contreras To The Injured List

Aug 21, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) and third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) celebrate after defeating the San Francisco Giants at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"The Red Sox today placed 1B Willson Contreras on the 10-Day Injured List with a left hamstring strain. To fill his spot, Boston recalled C/1B Mickey Gasper from Triple-A Worcester," the Red Sox announced.

The #RedSox today placed 1B Willson Contreras on the 10-Day Injured List with a left hamstring strain. To fill his spot, Boston recalled C/1B Mickey Gasper from Triple-A Worcester.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 31, 2026

Contreras has been banged up for some time and has been playing through the pain for Boston. It's not a secret that he has been hurting lately. For example, Contreras slashed .129/.206/.194 with a .399 OPS, zero homers and just one RBI over his last eight games before landing on the Injured List on Monday.

It's a big blow to lose Contreras at any time. This guy has been the club's most consistent hitter and a leader in the clubhouse all year. He earned his fourth All-Star nod and has already set a new career high with 26 homers. Overall, Contreras is slashing .274/.384/.516 with a .900 OPS, 26 homers, 79 RBIs, and 21 doubles in 125 games played. Contreras is at 4.4 wins above replacement, which would be a new career high if the season ended today. Contreras is a star and is having a phenomenal season.

It's going to be tough offensively without him in the middle of the order over the next 10 days at least. With the playoffs approaching and Boston most likely locked in with the No. 2 American League Wild Card spot after losing the club's series against the New York Yankees, these next few weeks are going to be all about getting healthy. Contreras is at the top of that list now. Boston is not going to go on a deep run if Contreras isn't at full strength.

Hopefully, this stint on the Injured List is a step in that direction. This is a big blow, but hopefully it helps in the long run.

Add us as a preferred source on Google