An emotionally difficult stretch for Wilson Contreras just got heavier. The Boston Red Sox first baseman, batting .283 with 18 homeruns and 53 RBIs, was reduced to tears on Saturday. He apologized for his involvement in two benches-clearing incidents over the past week. The MLB has since suspended him for seven games and the apology he offered came without prompting.

“It’s been a really tough week, emotional week for me,” stated Contreras, per Tim Healey of the Boston Globe. “I hope that they understand how emotional it has been, and I’ll prove myself with my actions on the field from here moving forward and show the kind of person that I truly am.”

Contreras has been emotionally high-strung, more so than ever, with his home country, Venezuela, being devastated by earthquakes. On June 24, two high-intensity tremors, 7.1 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, shook the capital Caracas and La Guaira with 39 seconds between them. The earthquake has left the affected areas in ruins, killing and injuring hundreds. A deeply impacted Contreras dedicated his latest three-run homer to the people of Venezuela. However, his temper flared at the wrong time in the upcoming games.

The first incident came on June 26, when Will Warren’s repeated pitches inside frustrated Contreras during a Red Sox-Yankees game. He drew a walk and exchanged heated words with Warren on the basepaths, emptying both dugouts and bullpens. The situation did not escalate significantly, and Contreras was not ejected.

The second and more serious incident came on Tuesday, June 30, during the Washington Nationals’ 8-1 win at Fenway Park. In the fourth inning, Washington starter Cade Cavalli struck out Contreras looking on a full count and then shouted “Sit down, boy” at him as he walked away. The phrase carries a documented racial history in the United States. Contreras began advancing toward the mound before being intercepted by the first base umpire and Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz as both benches cleared. He was ejected alongside Red Sox manager Chad Tracy and outfielder Nate Eaton. Notably, Cavalli was not ejected and went on to finish the game.

MLB announced Thursday that Contreras and Cavalli would each receive seven-game suspensions. Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas, who was involved in a separate scuffle within the brawl, was handed five games, and Eaton received three. All four players were also fined undisclosed amounts. An additional charge against Contreras is worth noting. As per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Contreras violated MLB’s social media policy by posting on Instagram during the game, which factored into his suspension

Eaton and Contreras have appealed their suspensions to the MLB, allowing them to play till the process is complete.

The weight of Contreras’ statement, delivered tearfully as per Healy and entirely unprompted, reflects where the Venezuelan Red Sox star is right now. He is dealing with a suspension, a pending appeal, and a country in crisis, all at the same time.

Meanwhile, Cavalli has also apologized for his part in Tuesday’s brawl. He has also been doing his own reckoning with what happened.

Cade Cavalli finding it “hard to sleep” after Red Sox feud

Cade Cavalli finished the June 30 game with seven innings pitched, one unearned run, and 13 strikeouts, which is a career high. He holds 3.69 ERA across 18 starts this season. The performance was one of the best of his year. Yet, the comment that preceded it has overshadowed all of it.

Cavalli has said he did not register the racial implications of his comments in the moment. That assertion has been met with skepticism from some, including Contreras. He declided after the game to say whether he viewed it through a racial lens, stating he would let MLB handle the matter. Whatever Cavalli intended, he has since made clear he understands what the fallout has cost both parties.

“It’s been a tough couple of days. It has been hard to sleep. I just never in a million years thought that I would be in this situation,” Cade Cavalli said on Talkin’ Baseball. “You think of the character of this clubhouse as full of integrity, full of love, and that’s what we want to spread to everyone that walks in here. To think that in an instant, where there was no ill intention that could distract from those things that we value, it’s hard. I have high respect for him.”

The appeal process will now determine how much time both Contreras and Eaton actually miss. For the Red Sox, currently sitting at 37-48, losing their No.4 hitter even for a brief period is not something the roster is well-positioned to absorb.