During a game on Tuesday, May 7, between the New York Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals, Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras was struck by Mets slugger J.D. Martinez’s swing.
It was the bottom of the second inning, Willson Contreras crouched behind the plate, all geared up. J.D. Martinez dug into the batter’s box. Pitcher Miles Mikolas wound up and unleashed a sharp slider.
Contreras, anticipating a breaking ball down and in, lunged forward with his mitt to try and snare the pitch. Martinez, with laser focus, went with a vicious swing.
Martinez’s bat connected with the ball at the peak of his swing and the follow-through caught Contreras’s left forearm flush on the ulnar side, the bony area near the elbow.
The impact was sickening. In that split second, Contreras’s arm absorbed a tremendous amount of force.
Contreras’s face contorted in immediate pain. His grip on the mitt went slack. He froze, his arm hanging limp at his side. The force of the blow likely caused a fracture, with a hairline crack or a complete break depending on the severity.
Willson Contreras will leave this game after taking a J.D. Martinez swing to his left arm. pic.twitter.com/mJfiqOBf4t
— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) May 8, 2024
The fracture could be in the radius or ulna, the two bones of the forearm, or even a combination. The specific location would determine the severity and the recovery timeline (reportedly 6-8 weeks).
Replays likely showed Contreras setting up a bit closer to the plate than usual. This aggressive positioning, while allowing for better pitch framing, also put him more at risk of getting hit by a wild swing.
Interestingly, the umpires ruled the catcher’s interference. Since Martinez made contact with the ball, and Contreras’s positioning arguably impeded his swing, the call went in the hitter’s favor.
This injury is a significant blow to the Cardinals, as Contreras is one of their most consistent hitters and a strong defensive presence behind the plate.
The Cardinals’ offense was already struggling, and Contreras’s absence will make it even harder for them to score runs.
