5 months agoSt. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak stated Wednesday that catcher
Willson Contreras will be transitioned to a first base/designated hitter role in 2025. The hope is that the move will keep the 32-year-old healthy and allow him to extend the life of his career. The veteran backstop had a solid season for the time he was on the field in 2024, posting a .262-15-36-48-4 line with a .370 wOBA and 140 wRC+, but played in just 84 games due to varying injuries. He's expected to be ready to go for 2025, and the added positional flexibility should give him some additional value in fantasy leagues.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: Katie Woo - The Athletic
7 months agoSt. Louis Cardinals catcher
Willson Contreras (finger), who is currently sidelined with a broken left middle finger, will be re-evaluated on Monday, and the Cardinals will then plan his path to a return, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Contreras didn't need surgery on his finger and has been out of a splint for the past week and is eager to return before the end of the 2024 season. The 32-year-old veteran backstop has been out since Aug. 24, and if he does manage to make it back before the end of September, it might only be for a handful of games, so fantasy managers shouldn't be counting on him at all the rest of the way. In the meantime, rookie
Pedro Pages and
Ivan Herrera will continue to split playing time behind the plate. Contreras was well on his way to a fourth straight 20-plus-homer season in 2024 before suffering the second serious injury of the campaign.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - John Denton
7 months agoSt. Louis Cardinals catcher
Willson Contreras (finger) will not need surgery on his broken finger, according to manager Oliver Marmol. However, Contreras will be no impact for three weeks. The Cardinals have five weeks left in the regular season. The door is open for a return, but Contreras has no room for a setback along the way. The 32-year-old veteran backstop suffered a fractured right middle finger over the weekend when he was hit by a pitch and has already been placed on the injured list. Even if he does make it back at the tail end of the season, he's not going to have much time left to provide meaningful numbers for fantasy managers.
Pedro Pages will now operate as St. Louis' primary catcher, with
Ivan Herrera backing him up. It's a huge loss for the Cardinals as they battle for the final wild-card spot in the National League.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Belleville News - Jeff Jones
7 months agoSt. Louis Cardinals catcher
Willson Contreras (finger) took a fastball off the right hand in the fourth inning of Saturday's 6-0 loss to the Twins, and after initially staying in the game to run the bases, has now been diagnosed with a fractured right middle finger. The Cardinals are expected to call up
Ivan Herrera to replace him and split time with backup catcher
Pedro Pages. Herrera filled in for Contreras earlier this season during Contreras' first IL stint, slashing .279/.340/.378 with three home runs, a .317 wOBA, and 105 wRC+ over 54 games. No timetable has been given for how long Contreras will be out, but it'd be hard to imagine he'll be back before the regular season ends.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Post Dispatch - Derrick Goold
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