Willson Contreras Injury Update: Cardinals shutdown catcher for three weeks as chances for return this season look slim

The St. Louis Cardinals have placed catcher Willson Contreras on a 15-day IL due to a finger injury. On a corresponding move, the team has called up Ivan Herrara to the active roster.

Contreras suffered a fracture on the middle finger of his right hand when he was hit by a Pablo Lopez's pitch during the Cards' 6-0 loss against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.

According to journalist Katie Woo, the catcher is now shut down by the club for three weeks to avoid any more impact on his arm. Woo reported that the Cardinals would observe the player following that, although with just a little over a month left of the regular season, chances for the player's return are slim.

"Willson Contreras will be shut down for three weeks/no impact on his broken hand. The Cardinals will ramp him up accordingly after that. With five weeks left in the season, the runway for his return is very short."

This isn't good news for the Cardinals, who are currently fighting for their spot in the playoffs. Losing a player like Contreras, who has been pivotal for the team, at such a stage of the competition is tough.

This season, Contreras played 84 games for the team, hitting .272, with an OPS of .848, 15 HRs and 36 RBIs.

Willson Contreras reflects on suffering the finger injury against the Twins on Saturday

Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras has opened up about his new finger injury, which has sidelined him for at least the next three weeks. He told MLB.com that it was a bad and painful experience:

"It was bad. I couldn't have a grip on the bat and it was really painful. The ball went straight into my right hand, right in the middle finger. Not having good luck on my side this year, but can't control that."

This year hasn't been ideal for the Venezuelan catcher. In the first half of this season, he was out for seven weeks after he fractured his left arm during a game against the New York Mets in May.