Despite the chilly and damp weather, the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays kicked off their first matchup of the 2025 season on schedule at Fenway Park. Boston’s primary catcher, Connor Wong, took his position behind the plate. In the initial inning, as George Springer stepped up to bat, Wong extended his hand to catch a pitch from Richard Fitts, only for Springer’s bat to strike his hand just below his glove.

Wong quickly stood up, shaking his glove off, as manager Alex Cora summoned the trainer. Springer was awarded first base due to Wong’s second catcher interference of the young season. Commentators Dave O’Brien and Will Middlebrooks noted on the NESN broadcast that Wong’s hand was visibly swelling as it was examined by the trainer. Wong managed to put his glove back on and caught a few warm-up throws from Fitts before completing the inning.

However, Carlos Narváez replaced him in the next inning. The Red Sox promptly removed Wong, diagnosing him with a hand contusion, per NESN’s report. Connor Wong exits the Red Sox’s opener against the Blue Jays with a hand contusion. The team confirmed that Wong left due to a contusion on his left hand. — Mac Cerullo (@MacCerullo) April 7, 2025. Last season, the Red Sox leaned heavily on Wong after Reese McGuire, the former backup catcher, was designated for assignment.

Wong was a crucial right-handed hitter in Boston’s predominantly left-handed lineup and had a standout year at the plate. At 28, he hit .280/.333/.425 with 24 doubles, a triple, and 13 home runs over 126 games last season. Fortunately for the Red Sox, their newly acquired backup catcher, Narváez, has been performing exceptionally well at the start of 2025. The ex-Yankees prospect boasts a .429/.556/.643 batting line with a 1.199 OPS in his initial four games with the Red Sox.

While the sample size is small, Boston’s gamble on Narváez, who played just six major league games for the Yankees, is paying off early. Hopefully, Wong’s injury isn’t severe, allowing him to return swiftly. The Red Sox’s other backup catcher options include 27-year-old Blake Sabol, previously of the Giants, and experienced Seby Zavala, who appeared in 18 games with the Mariners in 2024.