The St. Louis Cardinals activated catcher Willson Contreras from the injured list ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Atlanta Braves. Contreras, who will be catching and batting third, is returning to the majors for the first time since fracturing his forearm on May 7.
In corresponding moves, the Cardinals sent backup catcher Nick Raposo to Triple-A Memphis. Additionally, they activated right-handed reliever Nick Robertson from the IL and optioned him to Memphis. Raposo had recently been recalled after Iván Herrera went on the injured list due to lower back tightness. Herrera had been sharing catching duties with Pedro Pagés, who will now serve as Contreras’ backup until Herrera is ready to return.
Before his injury, Contreras, 32, had been performing exceptionally well, batting .280/.398/.551 (167 OPS+) with six home runs and 12 RBIs in his first 31 games. His contributions were valued at an estimated 1.7 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference. Contreras, under a five-year deal with the Cardinals worth over $87 million, suffered his fractured forearm from a swing that connected with New York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez.
The Cardinals have significantly improved since Contreras was sidelined. They were 15-21 and trailing by 6 1/2 games in the NL Central at that point. As they prepare for Monday’s game, they hold a 39-37 record and are five games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the division standings.
