Boston Red Sox fans will have to wait until All-Star Week to see their standout first baseman play again. Willson Contreras will end up missing five games via suspension, including Thursday’s 2-1 win over the Chicago White Sox, for the scrum he took part in with the Washington Nationals at Fenway Park on June 30.
MLB ruled before Thursday’s game in Chicago that, following Contreras’ appeal, his seven-game ban had been reduced, albeit by only two games.
Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli, the instigator in what became a benches-clearing scuffle, also had his seven-game suspension cut down to five games. The right-handed hurler began serving his punishment on Monday; however, he won’t have to miss his next start, which is scheduled for Sunday against the New York Yankees.
Contreras, meanwhile, won’t be able to play for the Red Sox again until Game 2 of a July 17 doubleheader versus the Tampa Bay Rays. That said, he will take part in the Home Run Derby and could see the field in the All-Star Game as well, now that he’s a replacement for Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The suspensions’ inciting incident occurred when Cavalli struck out Contreras in the fourth inning of an 8-1 Nationals victory. Cavalli could be heard yelling, “Sit down, boy,” for which he’s since apologized. Contreras started to approach Cavalli, seemingly puzzled by the remark. That led to a confrontation that evolved into a dustup that saw three players ejected, including Contreras, who threw his helmet in the direction of Cavalli.
The week prior, the 34-year-old Contreras was involved in another bench-clearing fracas, that one against the Yankees. In the wake of those situations, Contreras offered a heartfelt apology, in which the Venezuela native reportedly noted that it was a “very emotional time.”
Also at that juncture, his home country was navigating the aftermath of tragic earthquakes.
Contreras is amid one of the best seasons of his career. The four-time All-Star’s currently slashing .285/.379/.542 with 20 homers and 61 RBI. Boston’s hoping to maintain its momentum despite Contreras’ absence.
So far, so good. With the Red Sox’s three-game sweep of the White Sox, they’re now 43-48 and, more impressively, 11-2 in their past 13 games.
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