The Boston Red Sox placed Willson Contreras on the injured list on Aug. 31 with a hamstring strain, but the hope was that he would only need a minimal stay there.
On Tuesday, he reportedly took batting practice on the field, and Rob Bradford posted a video of him running the bases at Fenway Park. Both are signs that Contreras is close to returning, and it will be in time for the final stretch and postseason run.
Willson Contreras: pic.twitter.com/YybqQBcCtu
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) September 8, 2026
Contreras has been one of the Red Sox's best players all season, and it's hard to imagine the team winning the World Series without him. He has had a career year so far, posting a .900 OPS in 125 games. He has a career-high 26 home runs and also has 21 doubles.
The postseason could be the healthiest the Red Sox have been all season. Roman Anthony is back and looking great. There is also a chance that Garrett Crochet is back in some capacity, though he will not be able to serve as a traditional starter. There is also an outside chance that Curtis Mead will be back as well.
The hamstring injury has bothered Contreras for most of the season and has even led to some backlash from fans when it has prevented him from running 100% on the bases. However, the Red Sox are hoping that after his stint on the injured list, he will be full-go for October.