St. Louis Cardinals Catcher Willson Contreras Fractures Arm in Freak Accident, Sidelined for 6-8 Weeks

Willson Contreras, the starting catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, sustained a broken arm on Tuesday after being struck by the bat of New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez. The injury, which occurred during the second inning of the game, is expected to keep Contreras out for the next six to eight weeks.

In a freak accident that has dealt a significant blow to the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup, starting catcher Willson Contreras has been sidelined for 6-8 weeks with a fractured arm. The injury occurred during the second inning of Tuesday's game against the New York Mets, when Contreras was struck by the bat of designated hitter J.D. Martinez.

As Martinez swung at an 85 mph breaking ball from Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas, his bat made contact with Contreras near the wrist. Contreras immediately fell to the ground in pain, clutching his arm. Manager Oliver Marmol and a trainer rushed to check on him, but it was clear that Contreras would not be able to continue playing.

X-rays later revealed a fracture in Contreras' left forearm. The 31-year-old catcher has been hitting .280 with six homers and 12 RBIs this season, and his absence will be a significant loss for the Cardinals.

After the game, Contreras expressed his disappointment at missing time with the team. "It's going to be tough for me to watch the games and not out there with the guys," he said. "But I'm going to do my best to stay present, pick each other up and cheer for them because that's the best thing I can do."

The Cardinals are already dealing with several injuries to key players, including ace pitcher Jack Flaherty, who is out with a shoulder injury. The loss of Contreras puts even more strain on the team's pitching staff, as they will have to rely more heavily on the bullpen.

The Mets, meanwhile, went on to win the game 7-5. Martinez, who hit Contreras with his bat, expressed remorse after the game. "I hit meat," he said. "I felt like I hit meat. I didn’t hit like just like a glove where you kind of just point back to catcher, it was just solid."

Contreras' injury highlights the risks associated with catchers setting up closer to the batter in order to improve their defense. While this strategy can help with framing pitches, it also increases the likelihood of collisions with hitters.

"It’s a huge risk, and it was talked about in the offseason and a topic in discussion because there were more [catcher's interference calls]," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. "The closer they’re able to get to the hitter to get that low pitch, it’s definitely a topic of conversation. The risk is high, and we just experienced it."

The Cardinals will now have to rely on backup catchers Andrew Knizner and Ivan Herrera until Contreras is able to return.