Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras breaks left forearm when hit by J.D. Martinez’s bat

A bad start to the season got worse for the St. Louis Cardinals when they lost catcher Willson Contreras to a broken left forearm during their 7-5 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday.

The Cardinals will try to regroup Wednesday afternoon when they finish their three-game home series with the Mets.

Contreras, who had been the hottest St. Louis hitter, was injured when his arm interfered with J.D. Martinez's bat swing while the Cardinals were enduring their fourth consecutive loss and sixth defeat in seven games.

"It's a tough one," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. "(Contreras) was doing such a phenomenal job. He's a great competitor, he brings so much to the club, performance-wise but also his competitive nature. To see him go down was definitely tough."

Ivan Herrera, St. Louis' backup catcher, went 2-for-4 after replacing Contreras in the second inning. Catcher Pedro Pages, who was sent to the minors on Sunday, likely will return to fill Contreras' roster spot.

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