Willson Contreras out of Red Sox lineup vs. Dodgers (and their All-Star righty) Saturday

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LOS ANGELES — Facing one of their biggest challenges of the season Saturday, the Red Sox lineup will be without its most fearsome slugger at Dodger Stadium.

One day after leaving the game to be assessed for a concussion after being hit in the helmet by a 95 mph fastball, first baseman Willson Contreras isn’t playing against the Dodgers and All-Star right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Boston will start Nick Sogard at first base in Contreras’ place and he’s hitting sixth. Second baseman Anthony Seigler is back in the lineup in the leadoff spot, Andruw Monasterio is at shortstop and Connor Wong is catching after having Friday off.


Contreras was in the clubhouse before the game and was in good spirits while interacting with teammates. At this point, interim manager Chad Tracy said, the Red Sox think he will avoid the injured list

“He’s doing better,” Tracy said. “Woke up feeling good. He’s still got to do a bunch of activity. He’ll run around today, he’ll swing and do all of his work. Obviously, we’ll see how he feels (during) that then after he cools off. Today, just keeping him out, it’s precautionary.”

Tracy said he wouldn’t rule out Contreras pinch-hitting in the game. The plan is to be careful less than 24 hours after he was hit.

“As of right now, maybe, but I’ll talk with the medical people over the course of the next handful of hours to make sure I keep checking in on how he’s doing, then we can figure that out,” Tracy said.

The Red Sox have never faced Yamamoto — who enters with an 11-6 record and 2.72 ERA in 19 starts — before. Only Caleb Durbin (0-for-1) and Monasterio (1-for-1) have ever faced him. Durbin is hitting cleanup in place of Contreras, who was still undergoing concussion testing as of Saturday.


Boston will send rookie lefty Payton Tolle to the mound to begin August after a historic July in which the club vaulted back into postseason contention with a 21-4 record. With a win either Saturday night or Sunday, the Red Sox will have won their eighth series in a row.

First pitch is at 9:10 p.m. ET and the game will air on NESN.


BOSTON RED SOX (58-51) vs. LOS ANGELES DODGERS (69-41) · DODGER STADIUM · LOS ANGELES, CA · GAME 110

FIRST PITCH: 9:10 p.m. ET

TV CHANNEL: NESN

RADIO: WEEI 93.7 FM

PITCHING PROBABLES: LHP Payton Tolle (6-6, 3.32 ERA) vs. RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-6, 2.72 ERA)

RED SOX LINEUP:

1. Anthony Seigler 2B
2. Ceddanne Rafaela CF
3. Wilyer Abreu RF
4. Caleb Durbin 3B
5. Masataka Yoshida DH
6. Nick Sogard 1B
7. Andruw Monasterio SS
8. Jarren Duran LF
9. Connor Wong C

DODGERS LINEUP:

1. Shohei Ohtani DH
2. Andy Pages CF
3. Tommy Edman 2B
4. Freddie Freeman 1B
5. Kiké Hernández LF
6. Teoscar Hernández RF
7. Max Muncy 3B
8. Miguel Rojas SS
9. Dalton Rushing C

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