Brewers Manager Pat Murphy Needs to Stand Up to Catcher William Contreras

William Contreras and his tough approach to baseball have long been a point of pride for Pat Murphy. That goes back to last season, when Contreras started each of the Brewers' first 58 games alongside Willy Adames, 47 of which came at the catcher position. Despite the wear and tear from the position and some drop off toward the end of that stretch in his production at the plate, Contreras refused to take a day off. On June 2 last year, Murphy left both Adames and Contreras out of his Sunday lineup to give both a breather. They didn't take it well:

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“Yeah, you know, it’s pretty simple. I decided that this was a good day to give them a day off. And when they got word of that, they were really upset. They didn’t want the day off. We had a conversation. I let them go out of the room to think about it. [They] came back in. I told them, ‘You’re in.'"

Murphy may have a fondness for the tough, old-school approach demonstrated by Contreras in this situation, but allowing him to dictate when he does or doesn't play despite the recent results (which had tapered off from his dazzling start to an overall .218 batting average and .287 slugging rate in June) was an error. After the All-Star break, the Brewers made more of an effort to force Contreras to take days off, and it worked to an extent—although he flagged again down the stretch in September. We can't say for sure if this was workload-related, but it does look that way. He also jammed his finger several times during that stretch, something that could have been the cause of his current fracture. 

How To Treat A Broken Finger
A quite painful injury, a broken finger impacts more from the sheer pain of certain movements than the mobility of the finger itself, as the other fingers can pick up the slack. The problem Contreras is facing is that one of those movements is swinging the bat. It's hard not to imagine that catching 101 mph sinkers from Abner Uribe is also painful if he catches the wrong spot, meaning the finger isn't getting the rest required to heal itself.

Broken fingers can be healed by either a splint (to minimize the movement of the digit) or surgery, depending on the severity. The Brewers have indicated a desire to create a glove that allows Contreras to catch with his finger in a splint. That, however, won't assist him at the plate. A splint on his middle finger would prevent him from holding the bat properly, so the act giving Contreras the most pain is still going to occur over and over again.

To heal properly, the finger needs to have minimized movement and stability in the joint. Complications can arise otherwise, and the healing process will be significantly delayed.

The process usually takes six to eight weeks for recovery.

So Why Isn't William Contreras On The Injured List?
At his best, healthy and unencumbered, Contreras is an MVP candidate. He's shown explosive power, strong bat-to-ball skills and above-average defensive work at catcher. The version the Brewers have now, a .700 OPS player who struggles to impact the baseball while providing that defense, is a solid addition, but it's also a player they could afford to replace with the combination of big-league veterans Eric Haase and Jorge Alfaro, both of whom have shown an ability to crush baseballs this season. Haase's game-calling has drawn strong praise behind the plate as well, as a solid framer at the top of the strike zone.

Contreras should be on the IL with the intention of coming back stronger and ready to make a real impact at the back end of the season. The only reason he isn't was made clear by Pat Murphy:

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“I don’t think he’ll allow that, knowing him,” Murphy said. “But it really changes who he is as a player, because every time you [catch] a foul ball, it crushes you. And, too, it affects you swinging the bat.

“The doctors and training staff are working incessantly today to come up with a splint or come up with something that can protect that. The injection hopefully helps, too.”

Contreras won't "allow" himself to go on the IL. Even if Murphy thought it better for him and the team, perhaps, Contreras wouldn't allow it. Instead, the Brewers have to hope an injection for the pain makes the problem go away, as any sort of splint can't hold his finger rigid in the batter's box. 

It's incredibly brave of Contreras to fight through the pain he is in, but the Brewers have enough depth at catcher that they don't need him to. They can afford for him to get back to full health without endangering himself. 

Pat Murphy needs to stand up to William Contreras. At the end of the day, it's not Contreras's decision to make as to whether he should be on the IL. It would be better for the Brewers in the second half, and better for Contreras's long-term future (with a risk that the finger, if not treated quickly and protected in the meantime, doesn't repair correctly).