Projecting the Red Sox Wild Card series lineup if Willson Contreras can't play

Boston Red Sox fans assumed they had dodged a bullet when it was revealed that there were no broken or fractured bones after Willson Contreras was hit in the hand by a pitch in a game in Texas last week. Unfortunately, Contreras hasn't played in a single game since last week, and based on the update he gave on Thursday, the odds of him playing in the Wild Card series on Tuesday don't feel very high.

The fact that he's able to grip a bat enough to attempt a swing is a decent sign, but the fact that he's still dealing with pain at this point is rough. Now, there're only a few days before the postseason begins, and if Contreras is unable to play, that'd be a very bad sign for the Red Sox. Just look at what their lineup without Contreras would look like.

What the Red Sox lineup could look like without Willson Contreras

Contreras is without question the best hitter on this team. He leads the Red Sox with 27 home runs and 81 RBI, and his 152 wRC+ ranks third in the majors, trailing only Yordan Alvarez and Pete Crow-Armstrong, the MVP favorites in their respective leagues. His absence would be really felt, especially since this would be the Red Sox's lineup without him.

There're obviously some good players in here. Roman Anthony has as much upside as anyone in the sport, Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela have had strong years, Adley Rutschman could easily get going offensively in October, and even Mickey Gasper has been a pleasant surprise. However, who do you really fear in this lineup? It's hard to come up with an answer there.

Willson Contreras' injury puts the Red Sox in a familiar and uncomfortable position

Just last year, the Red Sox faced the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Wild Card Series, hoping to advance to the ALDS. Unfortunately, even after winning Game 1, the Red Sox fell short of their goal, failing to muster much offense without their best hitter at the time, Roman Anthony.

Fast forward to 2026, and it felt like the vibes were going to be different this time around. Not only is Anthony healthy, but the Yankees' best hitter, Aaron Judge, is likely to be out or heavily compromised in the Wild Card series. In theory, the Red Sox had a great shot at beating New York given how good their pitching staff is and how much better their lineup looked given their health.

Contreras' injury changes things. Now, there's a chance that both teams will be without their best hitters, putting more pressure on the pitching staffs to step up. As good as Boston's staff is, will the Red Sox be able to do much of anything against a Yankees rotation featuring the likes of Cam Schlittler, Max Fried and either Carlos Rodon or Gerrit Cole? Factoring that in, plus New York's home-field advantage, it feels like we could be in for a repeat of 2025.

Red Sox need a healthy Willson Contreras to go on deep postseason run

Anything can happen in a three-game series, so maybe, even without Contreras, the Red Sox can squeak by the Yankees. Their road will get tougher as series get longer, though, and does anyone think they can hit enough to survive without their best position player?

We've gotten a preview of what the Red Sox's offense looks like without Contreras this month, with Contreras only playing in four of Boston's 21 games, and it's not pretty. The Red Sox are at or near the bottom in virtually every major statistical category this month, and have looked even worse when they've had opportunities to score runs.

The Red Sox have defied the odds all year, but that was with Contreras playing a starring role. Can the Red Sox continue defying the odds if Contreras is unable to play? They might have to hope so.

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