Red Sox Lose Willson Contreras To Hamstring Injury

[Steve Drumwright]

 

After a rough weekend in New York, the Boston Red Sox took another tough hit before opening a series against the Seattle Mariners.

First baseman Willson Contreras was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a strained left hamstring Monday by the Red Sox, who called up catcher-first baseman Mickey Gasper from Triple-A Worcester.

Contreras was taken out of Sunday's 16-1 loss to the New York Yankees in the seventh inning due to the injury, which dropped the third-place Red Sox 8½ games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the AL West and four games behind the Yankees in the AL wild-card standings. The Red Sox hold the No. 2 AL wild card, five games up on the Cleveland Guardians. Contreras has been an offensive leader for the Red Sox, with a .274/.384/.516 slash line with 26 homers and 79 RBIs in 125 games. His IL placement comes a day after the Red Sox got back left fielder Roman Anthony and shortstop Trevor Story.

Gasper was sent down with the return of Anthony and Story.

 

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[SoxDiehard]

Perhaps this injury is a blessing in disguise. Injured or not he hasn’t looked great lately, and perhaps there’s a factor of fatigue in all of that. With the addition of Roman Anthony and Trevor Story, up to this point the offense that they have provided more than compensates for what he would’ve contributed. So let’s hope this is a way for him to get stronger for what lie ahead.

[JoeBrady]

35 minutes ago, SoxDiehard said:

Perhaps this injury is a blessing in disguise. Injured or not he hasn’t looked great lately, and perhaps there’s a factor of fatigue in all of that. With the addition of Roman Anthony and Trevor Story, up to this point the offense that they have provided more than compensates for what he would’ve contributed. So let’s hope this is a way for him to get stronger for what lie ahead.

If one were to believe in conspiracies, maybe the RS planned on an IL stint, which is why they demoted Gaspar.

[drewski6]

59 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

If one were to believe in conspiracies, maybe the RS planned on an IL stint, which is why they demoted Gaspar.

Feels like a pretty non-conspiratorial conspiracy theory, as far as conspiracy theories go.

[mvp 78]

I don't understand the conspiracy. Why send Gasper down? Why not just send Contreras on an IL stint? 

[drewski6]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

I don't understand the conspiracy. Why send Gasper down? Why not just send Contreras on an IL stint? 

It doesnt make much sense to me, I think the gist of Joes conspiracy theory is that they sent gasper down, knowing they would IL contreras 1.5 days later and call gasper up then.  The issue is that they played Contreras in the mean time.  I dont think they would play Contreras on Sunday knowing they would DL him on Monday and then be able to call Gasper back up then.

I think the simple explanation is that they sent Gasper down because they view him as a platoon DH and considered him the weakest link.  Now I dont agree with that. But I also dont think theres like 5D chess going on that includes playing hurt players.

[drewski6]

also who are they conspiring with?

[mvp 78]

51 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

It doesnt make much sense to me, I think the gist of Joes conspiracy theory is that they sent gasper down, knowing they would IL contreras 1.5 days later and call gasper up then.  The issue is that they played Contreras in the mean time.  I dont think they would play Contreras on Sunday knowing they would DL him on Monday and then be able to call Gasper back up then.

I think the simple explanation is that they sent Gasper down because they view him as a platoon DH and considered him the weakest link.  Now I dont agree with that. But I also dont think theres like 5D chess going on that includes playing hurt players.

If Gasper was so great, just send Monasterio down for 2 days instead? 

[drewski6]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

If Gasper was so great, just send Monasterio down for 2 days instead? 

Right, or a pitcher who pitched the day before and is not available for a couple days anyways;

[mvp 78]

Just now, drewski6 said:

Right, or a pitcher who pitched the day before and is not available for a couple days anyways;

The team is limited in the amount of pitchers it can carry, but not position players. Not sure how many pitchers it had for that 2 game stretch and don't feel like checking TBH. 

[drewski6]

12 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

The team is limited in the amount of pitchers it can carry, but not position players. Not sure how many pitchers it had for that 2 game stretch and don't feel like checking TBH. 

They could have carried an extra position player, actually 2 because of the double header.

Generally you carry either 4 of 5 bench position players on a 26 man roster but nobody ever seems to go 5 (anymore).  Id bring it back, especially in the playoffs with all the off days.  But pitching nerds yell at me.  THE GAME IS WON AND LOST WITH PITCHING!!! PITCHING PITCHING PITCHING!!!!!  ALL THE MONEY ON PITCHING!!! MORE PITCHING!! NO SUCH THING AS ENOUGH PITCHING

And Im just like : 5 man bench. Fight me.

[drewski6]

Especially in the playoffs with all the off days.  Carry an extra pinch runner or platoon bat which they didnt last year I dont think and it bothered me.

Obvs for the bulk of the season I go 4 man bench.  But in the playoffs, Id like to see 5.  And maybe also during a stretch when they have a ton of days off

[drewski6]

You can carry a 5 man bench and be one RP short for one day in August.  Nobody is going to die.

[mvp 78]

3 hours ago, drewski6 said:

You can carry a 5 man bench and be one RP short for one day in August.  Nobody is going to die.

Now that pitchers only go 5 innings, a reliever could die. It’s just a matter of time.

[SoxDiehard]

Not sure about the conspiracy theory, although went my cell service drops all the time when i’m a mile from the person i’m calling, clearly with 1969 technology, i’m not so sure about the moon landing.  lol