Willson Contreras saw his suspension lessened while Nolan Arenado nears his return.
As the 2025 season got underway, Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado were seen as the veteran cornerstones of the St. Louis Cardinals’ position player group. Contreras chose not to pursue trade opportunities, while Arenado refused to waive his no-trade clause despite interest from one team. Now, both are sidelined but are expected to return in the near future.
Willson Contreras officially began serving a suspension issued by Major League Baseball today. Initially suspended for six games, he appealed the decision and continued playing during the review process. The suspension has since been reduced to four games.
The incident that led to the suspension occurred on August 25, when Contreras was ejected after a heated exchange with home plate umpire Derek Thomas. While the umpire’s reaction was arguably excessive, Contreras’ aggressive approach and the need for teammates to restrain him painted a negative picture. The situation escalated further when Contreras threw his bat, which accidentally struck hitting coach Brant Brown—ultimately sealing the case for disciplinary action.
Though he managed to get the suspension shortened, Contreras will now miss the Cardinals’ next four games. In his absence, catcher Yohel Pozo has been activated from the injured list and will take his spot on the roster.
Meanwhile, Nolan Arenado is preparing to return after dealing with a lingering shoulder issue since the trade deadline. Assuming his recovery continues on track over the weekend, he’s expected to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield early next week—either Tuesday or Wednesday—and could rejoin the Cardinals during their next homestand.
There was widespread speculation, myself included, that Arenado’s season might be over when he landed on the injured list in August. However, it now appears he will finish out the season with the team—though I still believe these could be his final games in a Cardinals uniform.
