The Boston Red Sox entered their 2025 Wild Card Series versus the New York Yankees with injuries to key players, and both the team and fan base desperately want to avoid that scenario this year. Therefore, concern was high when Willson Contreras got hit in the hand with a pitch during the eighth inning of Thursday's game versus the Texas Rangers. Trevor Story lifted Boston to a 4-3 lead and eventual win a few minutes later, and then the injured first baseman received big news. There is no fracture.

Red Sox manager Chad Tracy revealed that the X-rays were negative, but he is dealing with a bruise and swelling. The team is taking a day-by-day approach with nine regular season games left to play. Contreras himself was thinking the worst.

“Sore. Painful. My hand was numb for like five minutes,” the four-time All-Star said, per MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo. “That was the reason I came out of the game. I have fractured, before, the same hand. It felt like a fracture. Thankfully, it’s not a fracture on the top of the bone. I’m just frustrated.”

Article Continues Below

Contreras has already expressed exasperation over getting drilled with pitches, and this latest instance is especially brutal given the time of the year. He leads the Red Sox with 27 home runs, 81 RBIs, a .387 on-base percentage, .518 slugging percentage and .905 OPS, so his postseason availability is obviously crucial. The early diagnosis seems promising, but Boston's medical staff has whiffed on its injury timelines before.

A summer shift to small-ball tactics propelled this previously flat-lining ballclub firmly into playoff contention, but Willson Contreras remains the Sox's most complete hitter. He just returned from the injured list after battling a hamstring strain. Boston's bad luck continues.

This squad already got off the mat once, however. Perhaps it can survive another heavy blow. If nothing else, Thursday's heroic comeback over the Rangers brings the Red Sox (83-70) one win closer to clinching a second straight playoff berth. The magic number is down to three.