The Cardinals’ season took a brutal turn Tuesday when a JD Martinez swing crushed catcher Willson Contreras’ left forearm, and the three-time All-Star was left with what the team ultimately announced was a broken bone. of the left arm.
With one out in the second inning, Miles Mikolas threw a slider that caused the Mets designated hitter to swing.
But Contreras appeared to be close enough to home plate for Martinez to make contact with his arm.
Martinez ended up advancing to first base following catcher interference.
And Contreras felt obvious pain.
He rolled behind home plate for a few moments and moved around screaming in pain before a trainer arrived and helped Contreras fall to the ground near the Cardinals dugout.
Earlier in the game, Contreras, who signed with the Cardinals after the 2022 campaign after seven MLB seasons with the Cubs, doubled — before later scoring — in St. Louis’ three-run first inning against Jose Butto.
He entered Tuesday night hitting .274 with an OPS of .931.
Contreras made All-Star appearances in 2018, 2019 and 2022, and was a member of the Cubs team that ended the franchise’s 108-year World Series drought in 2016.
Eight years later, he would once again play a central role on a Cardinals team seeking its second NL Central title in the last three seasons.
St. Louis kept its three-run lead intact until the fifth inning on Tuesday, when the Mets erupted for six runs in the frame — three crossing home plate via a Brandon Nimmo homer, two scoring on Pete Alonso’s double and another scoring on Martinez’s RBI single. .
New York Post
