Contreras Warns Brewers After 24th Career HBP: 'Next Time They Hit Me, I'm Taking One of Them Out'

Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras has had a long-running feud with the Milwaukee Brewers, who have hit him by pitch a career-high 24 times.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 3:37am

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting a baseball player being struck by a pitch, with the player's body and the ball broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color representing the Red Sox and Brewers uniforms.A cubist interpretation of the tensions between Red Sox slugger Willson Contreras and the Milwaukee Brewers, whose pitchers have hit him by pitch a career-high 24 times.Boston Today

After being hit by a pitch for the 24th time in his career against the Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras issued a stern warning to the Brewers: if they hit him again, he'll retaliate by taking out one of their players. Contreras has had a long-running feud with the Brewers, who have hit him by pitch more times than any other team he's faced in his 121-game career against them.

Why it matters

Contreras' comments highlight the growing tensions between the Red Sox and Brewers, as well as the broader issue of player safety and retaliation in baseball. As one of the most frequently hit batters in the league, Contreras feels the Brewers are intentionally targeting him, raising concerns about whether the situation could escalate into on-field violence.

The details

In Monday's game, Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff hit Contreras with a pitch, the sixth time Woodruff has hit him. Contreras immediately threw his bat down and yelled towards the Brewers dugout. Later, Contreras slid hard into second base, tearing the pants of Brewers second baseman David Hamilton. Contreras said he doesn't think any other team has hit him as much as the Brewers, and he's willing to take action if they hit him again.

  • On Monday night, Woodruff hit Contreras with a pitch in the third inning.
  • Contreras made his comments after Boston's 8-6 loss to the Brewers on Monday.

The players

Willson Contreras

A 33-year-old first baseman for the Boston Red Sox who has been hit by pitches a career-high 24 times against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Brandon Woodruff

A pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers who has hit Contreras 6 times in his career.

Christian Yelich

A designated hitter for the Milwaukee Brewers who referenced Contreras' history with the team.

David Hamilton

A second baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers who was injured when Contreras slid hard into second base.

Caleb Durbin

A third baseman for the Boston Red Sox who previously had a dust-up with Contreras when Durbin played for the Brewers.

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What they’re saying

“'It's not just the hit by pitch, it's the 24th pitch they've hit me in my career — 24th. That's the sixth time (Woodruff) has hit me and they always say 'I'm not trying to hit you.' That gets old. So next time they hit me again, I'm going to take one of them out. That's the message.'”

— Willson Contreras, Red Sox First Baseman

“'We've seen that skit for the last 10 years. It's nothing new.'”

— Christian Yelich, Brewers Designated Hitter

“'Willson, he plays with a different type of chip on his shoulder than most people play with, I'll put it that way. Best way to describe it, is you love him when he's on your team and you hate going up against him, so I'm glad he's on my side this year.'”

— Caleb Durbin, Red Sox Third Baseman

What’s next

Contreras' first at-bat on Tuesday is scheduled to come against Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, setting up a potentially tense showdown between the two players.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the long-standing feud between Contreras and the Brewers, as well as the broader issue of player safety and retaliation in baseball. It remains to be seen if Contreras will follow through on his threat to 'take one of them out' the next time he is hit by a Brewers pitcher, which could potentially escalate the tensions between the two teams.