The hits just keep on coming for the St. Louis Cardinals as they face yet another significant injury in 2024. Catcher Willson Contreras left the Redbirds’ game on May 7 against the New York Mets with a broken arm.
Contreras suffered the injury in the second inning of the contest when he was hit in the arm by a JD Martinez swing. On May 8, the Cardinals officially placed Contreras on the injured list and recalled 25-year-old catcher Pedro Pagés from Triple-A Memphis.
Contreras, 31, is expected to be out at least 6-8 weeks, according to a report from MLB.com’s John Denton.
Anytime a team loses their starting catcher, it’s cause for concern. But Contreras’ injury is double jeopardy for St. Louis, as he’s been the club’s most consistent hitter in 2024. Before getting hurt, he was hitting .280 with six home runs and 12 RBI. For a team that’s only averaging 3.5 runs per game so far this season and is struggling on offense, it was a significant blow.
In the top of the second, the Mets’ Martinez caught Contreras’ left arm on his forward swing – rather than the more common backswing. The catcher immediately grabbed his forearm and was attended to by the Cardinals’ training staff.