The Boston Purple Sox decreased their magic quantity for clinching a postseason spot to only two on Friday, after they knocked off the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 behind three RBIs together with a game-opening house run by Roman Anthony.
The Purple Sox ship left-hander Payton Tolle to the mound Saturday towards Tampa Bay, on a day when underneath a number of situations, Boston might nail down a postseason berth.
Earlier than the Rays recreation, the Purple Sox introduced a call on their injured, All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras.
Contreras is out of the Boston Purple Sox lineup for a second straight recreation, nonetheless nursing the swollen proper hand that led to his early exit on Thursday.
Interim supervisor Chad Tracy hasn’t dominated Contreras out for the remainder of the Tampa Bay sequence, however Boston’s playoff push makes each missed at-bat vital.
| BOSTON RED SOX STARTING LINEUP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP: Brayan Bello (RHP) • 6-7, 4.74 ERA | ||||
| September 19, 2026 • Tropicana Subject, St. Petersburg, FL • 4:10 PM ET • Purple Sox at Rays | ||||
| # | Participant | Pos | AVG | SLG |
| 1 | Roman Anthony | LF | .235 | .374 |
| 2 | Mickey Gasper | DH | .266 | .480 |
| 3 | Adley Rutschman | C | .234 | .414 |
| 4 | Wilyer Abreu | RF | .252 | .455 |
| 5 | Nick Sogard | 1B | .255 | .399 |
| 6 | Trevor Story | SS | .247 | .359 |
| 7 | Caleb Durbin | 3B | .251 | .383 |
| 8 | Jarren Duran | CF | .203 | .359 |
| 9 | Isiah Kiner-Falefa | 2B | .257 | .333 |
| Lineups confirmed. Season stats proven (AVG / SLG). Umpire: Jeremie Rehak • Climate: 87°, Wind 5 mph • O/U: 7.5 Runs • Line: BOS +130 / TB -157. | ||||
Willson Contreras’ Hand Damage
Contreras left Thursday’s 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers within the eighth inning after a 92.3-mph sinker from Jakob Junis caught him on the suitable hand, with Texas main 3-1 on the time. Boston pulled him for Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and two batters later Trevor Story broke the sport open with a three-run homer. Contreras completed 1-for-3.
X-rays got here again unfavourable for a fracture after Thursday’s recreation, with the membership describing the harm as a bruise with swelling.
“Sore. Painful. My hand was numb for like 5 minutes,” Contreras stated, in keeping with MassLive. “I’ve fractured, earlier than, the identical hand. It felt like a fracture. Fortunately, it’s not a fracture on the highest of the bone. I’m simply annoyed.”
Tracy struck a equally cautious tone Friday, laying out the therapy plan intimately.
“Clearly sore with some swelling,” he stated, as quoted by The Boston Globe. “Over the following couple of days they’ll work on therapy and getting the swelling out and see if he can get grip power.”
Nick Sogard stuffed in at first Friday and went 0-for-5 in Boston’s 4-2 win. He’s again in Saturday’s beginning lineup at Tampa Bay with Contreras out once more.
| TAMPA BAY RAYS STARTING LINEUP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP: Freddy Peralta (RHP) • Sept. 11, 4.67 ERA | ||||
| September 19, 2026 • Tropicana Subject, St. Petersburg, FL • 4:10 PM ET • Purple Sox at Rays | ||||
| # | Participant | Pos | AVG | SLG |
| 1 | Yandy Díaz | DH | .293 | .451 |
| 2 | Jonathan Aranda | 1B | .277 | .436 |
| 3 | Junior Caminero | 3B | .277 | .533 |
| 4 | Liam Hicks | C | .285 | .439 |
| 5 | Chandler Simpson | LF | .308 | .359 |
| 6 | Victor Mesa Jr. | RF | .254 | .498 |
| 7 | Richie Palacios | 2B | .234 | .378 |
| 8 | Cedric Mullins | CF | .201 | .340 |
| 9 | Jorge Mateo | SS | .209 | .325 |
| Lineups confirmed. Season stats proven (AVG / SLG). Umpire: Jeremie Rehak • Climate: 87°, Wind 5 mph • O/U: 7.5 Runs • Line: BOS +130 / TB -157. | ||||
Contreras’ Purple Sox Worth and Postseason Outlook
The hand harm is the most recent chapter in a season outlined partly by how typically Contreras will get hit. He’s been plunked 24 instances this season, third-most in baseball, tying the profession excessive he set with the Chicago Cubs in 2022. Solely St. Louis’ Ivan Herrera and the Chicago White Sox’s Sam Antonacci have taken extra, and Contreras has absorbed 146 hit-by-pitches since 2018, essentially the most of anybody within the majors.
Contreras, 34, crowds the plate and has identified that different hitters do the identical with out getting hit practically as typically, a frustration he voiced bluntly after Thursday’s recreation.
“If no person does something about it, I’m going to maintain getting hit,” he stated.
Boston’s single-season franchise file belongs to Don Baylor, who was hit by 35 pitches again in 1986. Kevin Youkilis holds the profession mark at 86. Contreras, in a single Boston season, already has two dozen.
Contreras is hitting .276 with a .905 OPS, 27 house runs and 81 RBIs, main Boston in all three classes since a December commerce despatched pitching prospect Hunter Dobbins and two others to the St. Louis Cardinals for the transformed catcher.
There’s no indication but that the Purple Sox are contemplating an injured checklist keep for Contreras. He solely returned Sept. 13 from a 10-day stint for a hamstring pressure, and with roughly every week left, one other IL transfer would price Boston bench depth it wants for a probable wild-card rematch with the Yankees. October availability now comes all the way down to swelling and grip power.
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