Willson Contreras was left furious after a 92.3 mph sinker drilled his right hand and forced him out of Thursday’s game. Just four days removed from a 10-day IL stint, Boston’s hitting leader was back screaming in pain at the plate, leaving Red Sox fans fearing the worst. But while Boston held its breath over another injury scare, former MLB catcher Erik Kratz had little sympathy.

“This picture right here with a line on the inside of the plate, this is why he’s getting hit. There are plenty of dudes that get hit. There are plenty of dudes that stand close to the plate that get hit and cry less than Willson,” Kratz said via Foul Territory.

“Starling Marte is up there. Freddie Freeman is up there. When and how many times do we hear those guys complaining about it? Anthony Rizzo was this guy. Rarely was there like, ‘Ooh, we gotta have retaliation.’ When you’re close to the plate, you’re gonna get hit. That’s the reality of it, but he’s taking exception to it. It’s also kind of a ploy. Get that ball out over the plate where I can do some damage.”

The only relief for Contreras was that X-rays came back negative. But with only eight regular-season games left, even a short absence from Boston’s best hitter is bad timing.

Thursday’s plunk was already his 24th of 2026, and Kratz is not buying the idea that this is simply bad luck.

Contreras crowds the plate. That is the point.

“If he’s concerned about getting hit in the hand, he can’t sit out over the plate looking for breaking balls and then all of a sudden the heater that doesn’t break catches him on the hand,” Kratz said.

He did not dismiss the danger, either. Kratz admitted the pitch could have been an “absolute death play” if it had broken Contreras’ hand. But his larger point was that Contreras knowingly puts himself in that position.

Contreras pushed back on that explanation.

“A lot of people might say that I hit on top of the plate. But I’m seeing a lot of players hit on top of the plate. They don’t get hit like me,” he said.

Kratz pointed to Freddie Freeman, Starling Marte, and Anthony Rizzo as the counterargument.

“Freddie Freeman is up there. How many times do we hear those guys complaining about it? Anthony Rizzo was this guy. Rarely was there like, ‘Oh, we gotta have retaliation.’”

Jose Altuve offers the opposite comparison. He stands farther off the plate and has been hit just three times this season and 83 times in 16 years. Contreras, meanwhile, is already at 24 HBPs in 2026 after recording 13 in 2023 and 12 in 2024.

Kratz boiled his criticism down even further.

“When you’re close to the plate, you’re going to get hit. That’s the reality of it.”

He also suggested there is another layer to Contreras’ setup.

“It’s also kind of a ploy. Get that ball out over the plate where I can do some damage.”

That is why Kratz sees this less as a Red Sox pitching problem and more as a trade-off Contreras accepts every time he steps into the box. The stance gives him access to pitches away, but it also leaves almost no room when pitchers challenge him inside.

And retaliation would not change that. Boston could answer by hitting someone back, but Contreras would still return to the same spot in the box.

For Kratz, this is not something the Red Sox pitching staff can solve for him. Contreras chose the setup, and the bruises come with it.