Cardinals’ Willson Contreras to return to catching duties

BOSTON — Willson Contreras‘ demotion from catching didn’t last very long.

St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol announced before Saturday’s game against the Boston Red Sox that the 31-year-old Contreras will be back behind the plate on Monday night when the Cardinals open a homestand against the Milwaukee Brewers.

“We felt really good about the progress that we’ve made, and it lines up really well for him to catch Monday,” Marmol said.

Looking to replace Yadier Molina at catcher, St. Louis signed Contreras, a three-time All-Star, to an $87.5 million, five-year contract in December, its biggest move of the offseason.

But Marmol announced last weekend that Contreras would be taking a break from catching for a while — a move that raised questions about the fit of the free agent acquisition in the first place.

Contreras will be catching right-hander Jack Flaherty on Monday. The last time he started behind the plate was May 4 for Flaherty, who was tagged for 10 runs in 2 1/3 innings. Contreras came in as a defensive replacement the next day.

“This is what they wanted,” Marmol said.

Now, they’ll be together again — and Contreras will have a chance to fulfill what St. Louis envisioned during the offseason.

Contreras has been the designated hitter during his time away from behind the plate. He is batting .263 with three homers and 18 RBIs entering the middle game of the three-game series in Boston.