St. Louis Cardinals first baseman/designated hitter Willson Contreras (foot) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Colorado Rockies. Alec Burleson will man first and bat cleanup, and Nolan Gorman will DH and hit fifth in a meeting with left-hander Austin Gomber. Contreras had to exit Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the Rockies early after taking a pitch off the right foot, but he was diagnosed with a bruise and shouldn't miss significant time. The 33-year-old has put together another quality offensive season, having slashed .255/.344/.443 with 16 homers, 65 RBI, 57 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 472 trips to the plate.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (foot) exited Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the Rockies after being hit by a pitch in his right foot. Contreras was plunked in the fourth inning, and he stayed in the game until the sixth inning, when he was replaced defensively by Nolan Gorman. The team reported the injury as a right foot bruise. Contreras went 0-for-1 with the hit-by-pitch before exiting. Fantasy managers should look for further updates in the coming days to get a better idea of whether Contreras may have to miss time. The 33-year-old has produced offensively while transitioning to first base this season, slashing .255/.344/.443 with 16 home runs, 65 RBI, and four stolen bases in 472 plate appearances.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (illness) is feeling better on Friday and is starting at first base and hitting third in the series opener at Busch Stadium against the division-rival Chicago Cubs and left-hander Matthew Boyd. Contreras was held out of Wednesday's series finale against the Los Angeles Dodger and then had an off day on Thursday. He's feeling better now and will take the field against the tough lefty Boyd, who he has hit only .091 in 11 at-bats against. The 33-year-old former catcher has hit well against southpaws in 2025, though, and is slashing .258/.343/.451 with a .794 OPS, 16 home runs, 64 RBI, 57 runs and four stolen bases in 399 at-bats on the year. Contreras has gone 5-for-17 with a double, two home runs, three RBI and five runs in only five games so far in the month of August.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (illness) is out of action on Wednesday against the hosting Los Angeles Dodgers in the series finale with a stomach bug, according to John Denton of MLB.com. Contreras could be available to pinch hit late in the game. Alec Burleson is starting at first base and is in the three-hole against Dodgers right-hander Shohei Ohtani. It will be Contreras' first day off since July 4, but he should be ready to return to the lineup for a divisional clash on Friday against the Chicago Cubs after another off day on Thursday. So far in five games in August, Burleson has gone 2-for-18 with two RBI and two runs scored. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter has slashed .278/.332/.450 on the season with 14 home runs, 50 RBI, 39 runs and four steals in 353 at-bats. He's hitless in just two career at-bats against Ohtani.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (finger) and first baseman Willson Contreras (hand, wrist) are back in the team's lineup for the start of a three-game set with the hosting Chicago Cubs. Arenado sprained his finger over the weekend and had to miss the Cards' previous two games, but he'll rejoin the squad ahead of a critical series with Chicago and bat sixth. Contreras, on the other hand, was plunked by a pitch in Tuesday's outing against the Pirates and missed just one contest with a contusion. He'll operate from the four-hole and across the diamond from Arenado at first base. Christian Encarnacion-Strand will take a seat with the two returning.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (hand/wrist) will sit out the final game of his team's three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday afternoon. This is an expected absence after Contreras was hit by a pitch on Tuesday night. Thankfully for him and the team X-rays on the injury came back clean. The Cardinals have an off day on Thursday before a crucial three-game series at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, so the hope is surely that Contreras can return at some point this weekend. Alec Burleson is starting at first base in his place in Wednesday's contest against Pittsburgh.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) underwent X-rays, and the team has diagnosed him with bruising. The X-rays did not show any fracture. He is being called "day-to-day," Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Contreras got hit in the hand by a Paul Skenes fastball in the fourth inning of Tuesday's contest and left the game. The good news is that there appears to be no structural damage, and the plan is to rest and allow the bruising to subside before returning to action. The Cardinals wrap up their three-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday with an off day on Thursday before a weekend series against the division-rival Chicago Cubs. Garrett Hampson entered the game at first base in Contreras' absence.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) said he is doubtful for Wednesday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. Contreras exited Tuesday's 1-0 loss after taking a 99.3 mph fastball from Pirates ace Paul Skenes off the left hand in the fourth inning. X-rays came back negative, but it'll take Contreras at least another couple of days to return. The Cardinals are off on Thursday, but Contreras could be back in the lineup Friday against the Chicago Cubs.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (hand) exited the team's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday after taking a Paul Skenes fastball off the left hand in the fourth inning. X-rays came back negative on Contreras, who's "day-to-day," according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals replaced him at first base with Alec Burleson and brought Garrett Hampson in to play right field. Contreras has been hit a league-high 13 times this year, and he missed the end of August and all of September last season after suffering a fractured finger on an HBP. While Contreras avoided a major injury in this instance, it's possible he could miss some time. Contreras has recovered from a slow start to the season to slash a respectable .248/.340/.432 with 11 homers, 51 RBI, 42 runs scored, and four stolen bases over 348 plate appearances.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras put together a nice day at the plate during the first game of the doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. Contreras would kick off the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the opening frame. He was fairly quiet for the rest of the game until blasting a two-run home run in the eighth inning. That two-run blast would tie the game as the Cardinals would eventually win this game 5-4. Contreras went 1-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, and a walk in the win. The veteran catcher has really picked up his play over the last few weeks.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras clutched up in the bottom of the 10th inning on Thursday, delivering an RBI single that gave the Cards a 6-5 win in Game 1 of their doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals. Contreras also doubled, walked, and scored a run to round out a nice game at the plate. It hasn't been a great season for the veteran backstop, but he has held his own. The 33-year-old now holds a .250 average and .719 OPS to go with 28 runs, six homers, and 36 RBI. Contreras remains a must-start player in fantasy, even with the mediocre stat line since he holds catcher eligibility.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (back) is returning to the team's lineup on Monday for their road matchup with the Baltimore Orioles. The veteran had missed the last three contests with back spasms, but he'll return for their series opener with the Orioles and bat fourth. Before the slight hiccup, Contreras had been rolling in May, boasting a .299 average (20-for-67), with 11 runs scored, 16 RBI, three home runs, four doubles, and a 7:17 BB:K ratio. The 33-year-old has really turned it around after a dismal start, and holds a strong .272 xBA, so his batting line should continue to climb as we head into the summer months.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (back) remains out of the starting nine on Sunday when they conclude a series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Contreras was scratched from the starting nine on Friday evening due to back spasms. Before his injury, Contreras held a solid .256/.286/.410 slash line with three doubles, one home run, and an 11:1 K:BB over his last 10 contests. This afternoon, Alec Burleson will get the nod at first base and is slated to bat in the five-hole. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to their next contest on Monday afternoon against the Baltimore Orioles. Through his first 49 games this season, Contreras has held a .250/.332/.397 line. This afternoon, Burleson is a viable target in DFS facing Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (back) will remain out of action for Saturday's contest at Busch Stadium against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. Alec Burleson will make another start at first base and will hit fifth against Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly. Contreras was scratched from the series opener against Arizona on Friday due to back spasms, and he's obviously not feeling good enough to return the following day. It's something to keep an eye on with the 33-year-old former catcher, but for now, he's being considered day-to-day. Check back to see if he's available for the series opener on Sunday. Burleson has swung the bat well all year and is hitting .333 (15-for-45) with four home runs, two doubles, 10 RBI, a steal and five runs scored in 16 games in May. He'll be looking for his first knock against Kelly, as he's gone 0-for-3 against him so far in his career.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras (back) has been scratched from Friday's series opener against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium due to back spasms, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold. Alec Burleson will replace Contreras as first base and will bat fifth against Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen. Brendan Donovan will play left field and bat third for the Red Birds, while Nolan Gorman will start at the keystone and hit in the seven-hole. Fantasy managers will be crossing their fingers that the 33-year-old Contreras won't miss too much time while hitting a strong .299/.385/.493 with three long balls and 16 runs driven in over 78 trips to the plate in May. Burleson is hitless in three career at-bats against Gallen, and although he only has three homers in 2025, he's not a terrible low-cost DFS play on Friday night against Gallen in the five-hole.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras had a big game in a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. Contreras went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer to help power the Cardinals to the victory. The veteran is off to a solid start in 2025, hitting .252 with five homers, 15 runs, 19 RBI, and two steals across 135 at-bats. He is currently enjoying a hot streak as he's hitting .417 with three homers and 10 RBI over his past seven games. Fantasy gamers should lock Contreras into their lineups while he's seeing the ball well at the plate.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher/first baseman Willson Contreras went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI in the second game of his team's doubleheader sweep in Cincinnati. Contreras connected on his three-run blast in the first inning against rookie Chase Petty. The Cardinals won the first game of the twin bill 6-0 and cruised to a 9-1 win after Contreras' shot set the tone for Game 2. On the season, Contreras is hitting .222 with three home runs and a .288 wOBA. He has reached base safely in 13 straight games and is quickly putting his rough start to the season in his rearview mirror and becoming the solid, proven bat he was drafted to be coming into the season. If someone bailed early and he's on waivers, he's a great pickup and is a good bat with lingering catcher eligibility in most formats.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras hit his first home run of the 2025 season against the Philadelphia Phillies' ace, Zack Wheeler. The home run was a two-run shot in the fourth inning that opened up the scoring for the Cardinals and gave them a 2-0 lead. The Cardinals never looked back and walked away with the 7-0 win against the Phillies (9-6). On the afternoon, Contreras went 2-for-4 with the home run and a double. He is off to a slow start to begin his 2025 campaign, with a poor slash line of .158/.213/.263; however, Contreras is a career .256 hitter at the Major League level, so fantasy managers can expect him to pick it up as the season progresses. Up next for the Cardinals is a three-game series against the Houston Astros at home. Contreras will look to keep the hot bat going in that series.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras is not in the starting nine on Friday when they begin a series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Contreras has had a slow start to the campaign and will be given the night off. Instead, Alec Burleson will cover first base and bat in the five-hole. Through the first 12 games of the campaign, Contreras has held an underwhelming .102/.170/.143 slash line with two doubles. However, he has tallied three hits over his last four games and has begun to slowly turn the corner. Fantasy managers should expect the 32-year-old to return to the starting nine on Saturday. He remains a must-start option despite his slump as he held a strong .262/.380/.468 line last summer. Burleson is worth a look in DFS facing Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras is 5-for-49 with 22 strikeouts to begin the season, but manager Oliver Marmol has elected to keep him at the top of the lineup in the early going, usually in the two-hole. The Athletic's Katie Woo writes that Marmol is weighing the possibility of moving Contreras down, though, given his slow start. The skipper prefers to switch between left-handed and right-handed hitters as much as possible in the lineup to make it difficult for opposing managers to game plan. Nolan Arenado is planted in the cleanup spot, and there are no other right-handed batters the Cardinals can use at the top of the order to break up lefties Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan. When catcher Ivan Herrera (knee) returns, he could be an option at No. 2. But until then, the Cardinals and fantasy managers are hoping Contreras can turn things around quickly at the plate.