Red Sox’ Willson Contreras, awaiting suspension appeal, gets introspective (and stays productive)

At the end of a tearful, unsolicited public apology Saturday, Willson Contreras made a vow: “I’ll prove myself with my actions on the field from here moving forward, and show the kind of person that I truly am.”

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He was not proud of his conduct against the Nationals, for which he was suspended seven games, or against the Yankees, an episode that did not escalate so severely. So he promised to behave himself.

Two games later — a small sample, to be sure — Contreras is living up to that.

On several inside pitches over the weekend against the Angels, he merely got out of the way, gathered himself, and got back in the batter’s box. No staredowns, no creeping yet closer to the plate, no mind games.

On each of his two home runs, he offered a routine-at-most bat drop and the briefest of excited looks at his dugout, then jogged around the bases. No slow walk up the first-base line, no watching the ball soar.

Throughout his emotionally volatile recent weeks — and as he awaits MLB hearing the appeal of his seven-game suspension — Contreras has stayed productive and gotten introspective.

“I’ve been doing my homework, put in the work in the cage, and my mind-set is still there,” he said. “I’m not giving up on — I’m not taking anything for granted. That’s the word. I’m not taking anything for granted, but it’s good to have seven of 10 years with 20-plus homers.”

He turned that factoid into reality with his long ball Sunday.

On Monday, MLB reduced the suspension of the Nationals’ Cade Cavalli from seven games to five.

At long last, Patrick Sandoval is about to pitch for the Red Sox.

They activated the lefthander from the 60-day injured list on Monday, setting up his long-awaited team debut — likely Thursday, a matinee against the White Sox.

The Sox signed Sandoval to a two-year, $18.25 million contract in December 2024. The idea was that he would return — from June 2024 Tommy John surgery — by the end of 2025. A series of slowdowns since then led to an absence of more than two years.

Sandoval already has been paid about $12.5 million without having thrown a pitch.

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To clear a spot on the active roster, the Red Sox sent lefthander Alec Gamboa to Triple-A Worcester. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, they designated righthander Jack Anderson for assignment.

As Roman Anthony heads to Atlanta this week for a third opinion on his sprained right hand/wrist, an extra bit of context: This doctor has seen this very rare baseball injury before.

In 2017, Dr. Gary Lourie, a hand specialist and the Braves’ head team physician, treated Braves infielder Adonis Garcia for damage to a ligament in his left ring finger. It was Garcia’s bottom hand when he swung, just like with Anthony’s right ring finger.

Garcia wound up having surgery; Atlanta estimated he’d miss about two months and he returned closer to three.

The Red Sox believe Anthony won’t need surgery. This visit is more for “peace of mind,” as interim manager Chad Tracy phrased it Sunday.

The Red Sox’ transcontinental road trip will continue Tuesday, when they open a three-game set in Chicago against the AL Central-leading White Sox — or, as Brewers outfielder/Lexington native Sal Frelick called them, “the Massachusetts White Sox.”

The White Sox feature a slew of Bay State natives (Sutton’s Sean Burke and Middleborough’s Sean Newcomb) and former Red Sox.

Three of the four prospects from the December 2024 Garrett Crochet trade are in the majors: outfielder Braden Montgomery, catcher Kyle Teel, and second baseman Chase Meidroth. Also, designated hitter Andrew Benintendi and relievers Jordan Hicks and Chris Murphy.

The probable pitchers:

▪ Tuesday: LHP Payton Tolle (3.39 ERA) vs. LHP Noah Schultz (5.86)

▪ Wednesday: LHP Jake Bennett (3.10) vs. RHP Davis Martin (3.08)

▪ Thursday: TBD vs. LHP Anthony Kay (4.39)

Sandoval is the likely choice for Thursday.

The Sox have six games until the All-Star break: Three against the White Sox, then three at the Mets. “You go into the road trip knowing you got a nine-game sprint to the All-Star break, and you feel like we’ve got to win some games on this trip to get to the end of it and feel [OK about the season],” Tracy said late Sunday night. “You got six more. We won the first three. We’ve gotten off to a really good start, and we have to try to continue that” … For a second week in a row, righthander Blake Wehunt was the pitcher of the week in the Double-A Eastern League. His past two outings for Portland: 11 scoreless innings, two hits, four walks, 17 strikeouts … Tommy Kahnle cleared waivers and elected free agency … As of Sunday, the Red Sox had not cleared Crochet to begin playing catch.

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