The St. Louis Cardinals got some bad news when catcher Willson Contreras went down with a fractured forearm after getting clipped by a swing from the New York Mets' JD Martinez.

The three-time All-Star tumbled over in obvious pain and then jogged away before sitting down while was examined by the Cardinals training staff.

Appearing on Foul Territory, former MLB catcher AJ Pierzynski commented on the injury:

Said Pierzynski, “It's crazy how many catcher's interferences there are.”

He believes that the Cardinals catcher's injury is unfortunate and all the more reason that catchers need to start going off where the hitter sets up rather than sitting in the same spot.

Pierzynski definitely has an understanding of the position. He caught for 19 seasons with the Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, and Atlanta Braves. He also spent 30 games with the Cardinals in 2014.

Cardinals will be without Willson Contreras for extended period

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (40) is checked on by a trainer and manager Oliver Marmol (37) after fracturing his left arm during the second inning against the New York Mets at Busch Stadium
© Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol gave a postgame update that doesn't bode well for Contreras, saying that there's a potential that he will need to have surgery on his fractured forearm.

Should Contreras require surgery on his fractured forearm, he'll miss an extended period of time. It's likely that Ivan Herrera, who took over for Contreras on Tuesday, would get the not as the Cardinals' everyday catcher.

Unfortunately, Herrera is not even remotely the player that Contreras is. While he's still just 23 years old and has plenty of time to develop into an impact player at the Major League level, he doesn't provide much pop in his bat. Across three seasons in his career, the 5-foot-11, 220-pound catcher is slashing .221/.295/.320 with three homers and 16 RBI.

Contreras, on the other hand, has a .258/.352/.463 slash line with 143 homers and 144 RBI. He is also a three-time All-Star and a former World Series champion, winning back in 2016 with the Cubs. Contreras was also one of the few players on the squad doing well at the plate. He ranks second on the team (among starters) in batting average, and also leads in homers. Contreras and Nolan Arenado are the only starters on the Cardinals hitting over .270.

St. Louis is currently sitting at 15-21 this season. That puts them in last place in the National League Central division. Unfortunately, things aren't going to get any easier for them with Contreras out for a potentially long stretch.

Up next for St. Louis – the Cardinals are taking on the New York Mets again on Wednesday night.