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MLB Cuts Contreras Suspension to Five Games, Returns July 17

7/10/2026

40 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Contreras Suspension Reduced

MLB cut Willson Contreras' suspension to five games, starting Thursday, July 9.
He will miss the four games before the All-Star break and the first game after.
Contreras is set to return on July 17 for the second game of a doubleheader against Tampa Bay.
He left the July 8 game with a left-foot contusion and is day-to-day.
He remains eligible for the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby while batting .285.

Summary

Harris Starts

Brett Harris will start at first base for Boston on Thursday, batting eighth in the series finale versus Chicago.
Romy Gonzalez will share first-base duties with Harris while Willson Contreras serves a five-game suspension.
Left-hander Anthony Kay will pitch for Boston Thursday, complementing the adjusted lineup.
Fantasy managers will lose Contreras for the rest of the first half and the start of the second, prompting roster changes.

History

Historical Context

During the 1994-95 MLB strike, which began on August 12 1994 and lasted 232 days, owners canceled the postseason and 938 games, ending the World Series for the first time since 1904. The labor dispute reshaped discipline expectations, a backdrop for today’s five-game suspension of Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, affecting the Red Sox-Cubs lineup.

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Contreras Suspension Reduced

MLB cut Willson Contreras' suspension to five games, starting Thursday, July 9.
He will miss the four games before the All-Star break and the first game after.
Contreras is set to return on July 17 for the second game of a doubleheader against Tampa Bay.
He left the July 8 game with a left-foot contusion and is day-to-day.
He remains eligible for the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby while batting .285.

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