Six Wins Can’t Mask the Contreras Problem

The Red Sox are on a roll. Six straight wins entering Wednesday’s matchup with the White Sox represents the kind of momentum that actually matters in July—not meaningless, but a genuine sign that a roster is clicking. Except nothing clicks when your best hitter goes down.

Willson Contreras getting injured in the ninth inning of that sixth consecutive victory is exactly the kind of cruel timing that defines a season. You win the game, you extend the streak, and you lose the player who’s supposed to carry you through October. That’s the math. That’s the reality Cora and Breslow are facing right now, and no winning streak patches that hole.

The depth question becomes immediate. Romy Gonzalez is a capable backup first baseman, but “capable” and “Contreras” occupy different universes in terms of offensive profile and defensive value. The Red Sox payroll situation doesn’t offer many quick-fix trade deadline options, either. You’re working with what you have—and what you have just lost one of your four or five most impactful bats.

This is where front offices earn their money. Breslow built a roster with some redundancy in key spots, but first base was never supposed to be one of them. Contreras was the anchor, the veteran presence who brings both power and pitch recognition in the heart of the lineup. Yoshida, Duran, and Abreu give you other weapons, sure. But losing Contreras doesn’t just dent the offense—it dents the entire strategic approach to how you construct at-bats.

The six-game winning streak keeps this moment from feeling like absolute catastrophe. But let’s be honest: a winning streak is what you build on when everyone’s healthy. When your first baseman gets hurt during the streak, the wins become a footnote. The injury becomes the story. And that’s because it should.

Based on reporting from Over The Monster.