Red Sox's Willson Contreras Swings Again as Hand Improves

Boston first baseman Willson Contreras took aggressive swings in the cage Wednesday as he works back from a hand injury suffered Thursday.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras is trending toward a return after being hit in the hand by a pitch on Thursday. He was not placed on the injured list and hopes to make it back before the regular season wraps up.

Manager Chad Tracy told MassLive's Christopher Smith that Contreras is doing much better and swung aggressively in the cage on Wednesday. It marked another step forward for the 34-year-old, who has been out of the lineup for several days.

Contreras earned All-Star honors this season and has been central to Boston's turnaround, posting a .276 average with a .905 OPS, 27 home runs and 81 RBIs. The OPS would be a career high, while his batting average would match his best mark.

The Red Sox appear locked into the No. 5 seed, with a likely Wild Card Series matchup against the New York Yankees. Contreras has managed only a .673 OPS against New York across 13 games this year.

His hand health remains a question heading into the postseason, and Boston has little reason to rush him back before then.