Red Sox Quietly Announce Willson Contreras Decision Before Guardians Game

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The Red Sox quietly announced a decision involving Willson Contreras before their game against the Guardians.

The Boston Red Sox on Sunday, despite losing to the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1, locked down a playoff spot for the second straight season when the Houston Astros lost their game later in the day.

On Tuesday, the Red Sox open a three-game series at Fenway Park against the Cleveland Guardians, looking to clinch the No. 2 Wild Card spot in the American League and needing any combination of wins and Chicago White Sox losses totaling three to do it.

Before the Guardians series opener, the Red Sox quietly announced a new decision on their top hitter and clubhouse leader, Willson Contreras.

Nick Sogard is back at first base and batting second for the Boston Red Sox Tuesday, filling in again for the injured Willson Contreras who is not on the injured list but will start on the bench Tuesday for the fourth straight game.

Boston clinched a playoff berth Sunday, but locking up the No. 2 American League Wild Card spot could depend partly on how much longer Contreras stays out of the lineup.

Nick Sogard’s First Base Workload

Sogard slots in ahead of Jahmai Jones and Wilyer Abreu Tuesday against the Guardians at Fenway, with Payton Tolle opposing Parker Messick, according to MLB.com’s posted starting lineup. Roman Anthony leads off in left field, and Adley Rutschman catches.

The first base assignment has bounced around Boston’s infield since Contreras left a Sept. 17 game in Texas after being hit by a pitch on the hand, but Sogard’s move up to the No. 2 hole marks a change after he batted fifth in that role during the weekend series at Tampa Bay, a stretch that included an 0-for-5 night.

Offensively, Sogard carries a .250 average with five home runs and 19 RBI across 216 at-bats this season, though his production has cooled to .120 over his last seven games. His numbers specifically at first base consist of a 40-at-bat sample yielding a .200 average with two doubles and six walks.

Defensively, Sogard has handled 19 games at first this year, posting a .982 fielding percentage with two errors and 13 double plays turned across 109 innings, according to FanGraphs’ fielding data. The numbers paint him as a steady fill-in rather than a defensive upgrade, though his ability to shuttle between second, third, short and first has kept him in Boston’s everyday mix.

Willson Contreras’ Uncertain Return

Contreras has missed three straight games since a 92.3 mph sinker from Jakob Junis struck him on the knuckle of his right hand Sept. 17. X-rays taken that night came back negative, though Contreras acknowledged follow-up scans could still reveal a break once swelling subsides.

“I’m not concerned about having a fracture, even if I have one, it’s gonna be like a little micro fracture and it’s gonna be day to day,” Contreras said, as quoted by MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “But no, I don’t think I have any fracture in my hand.”

Contreras, who leads Boston’s regular players with 27 home runs and a .905 OPS, has a week to get right before the Red Sox open a Wild Card Series on Sept. 29. He said his grip strength has been improving daily and that he wants his timing sharpened before facing playoff pitching, though the club has shown no urgency to rush him back this week.

Boston’s Magic Number For Second Wild Card

The Red Sox clinched their playoff berth Sunday when the Houston Astros lost, and Boston’s magic number to lock up the No. 2 American League Wild Card is down to three with six games remaining, according to Boston Red Sox On SI’s Patrick McAvoy. Three wins in the final six games against Cleveland and the Chicago Cubs, or an equivalent combination involving Chicago White Sox losses, closes it out.

The top Wild Card spot appears settled. The New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader behind eight scoreless innings from Carlos Rodon and a two-run homer from Cody Bellinger, pushing New York to 90-66. With a six-game lead for the top Wild Card spot, an existing season-series tiebreaker and six games left for each club, the Yankees have effectively locked up the No. 1 Wild Card, dropping their elimination number to zero.

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