Cardinals' Contreras sustains left hand contusion when hit by pitch from Pirates ace Skenes

PITTSBURGH (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras sustained a left hand contusion after being hit by a pitch by Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes while leading off the fourth inning of Tuesday night’s 1-0 loss to the Pirates.

Contreras stayed in the game to run the bases and was thrown out at home plate by Pirates left fielder Tommy Pham to end the inning while trying to score from second base on Pedro Pages’ single.

Contreras had X-rays on the hand, and they came back negative. He and Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said it is doubtful that the three-time All-Star will play in the teams' series finale on Wednesday.

Contreas was replaced in the bottom of the fourth by Alec Burleson, who shifted from left field. Garrett Hampson took over in left.

Contreras is hitting .248 in 82 games with 11 home runs and 51 RBIs.

The 33-year-old Contreras sustained a season-ending fractured left middle finger last Aug. 24 when he was hit by a pitch.

“When I get hit in the arm or hand, I get a little worried,” Contreras said. “I think I’m going to be OK, just a day or two (off).”

The Cardinals are off Thursday before opening a three-game series Friday in Chicago against the Cubs.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis, left, tags out St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras, right, at home during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras reacts after getting hit by a pitch by Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras reacts after getting hit by a pitch by Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras, right, is examined by a team trainer after getting hit by a pitch by Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.

"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)