Boston Red Sox fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief after the team received a positive injury update on first baseman Willson Contreras, who was forced to leave Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The veteran slugger was hit on his right hand during his first at-bat, exiting the game with a right-hand contusion. While the blow was certainly painful, interim manager Chad Tracy delivered encouraging news postgame: "The quick scans that we do here came back negative, which is good. Sore. That's all we know at this point."

With Monday's scheduled off-day providing a welcome buffer, the Red Sox plan to reevaluate Contreras over the next 48 hours. Andruw Monasterio stepped in to replace Contreras in the second inning after the hit-by-pitch.

The timing of this scare couldn't be more critical for Boston's lineup. Contreras has been a cornerstone of the offense in his debut season with the Red Sox, following his acquisition from the St. Louis Cardinals. He's currently hitting .259 and leads the team with eight home runs and 23 RBIs.

With fellow impact hitter Roman Anthony already on the injured list, losing Contreras for any extended period would have been a significant blow. The hope is that he'll avoid an IL stint altogether.

Despite the positive news on Contreras, Sunday was a tough day for Boston, who fell 4-1 to drop the series against Tampa Bay. The team will look to regroup during Monday's off-day and hopefully welcome their first baseman back to the lineup soon.