The St. Louis Cardinals have reportedly avoided an Opening Day disaster after initial tests revealed no major damage to Willson Contreras' knee. Contreras left the game after taking a hard pitch to the leg. This is a consistent fear and source of pain for catchers, even veterans. Contreras was one of the big acquisitions made by the Cardinals this offseason, so losing him would have been a huge blow.Nothing can derail a team's season quite like an early injury to a star player. Some teams have the depth and ability to endure such a loss, but they are few and far between. While Contreras may miss a few games from this injury, his long-term status for the year should remain unaffected.John Denton, a writer for MLB.com, reported the positive development via Twitter.John Denton@JohnDenton555Just as the X-rays on his right knee came back negative, Willson Contreras’ MRI was clean, #STLCards manager Oli Marmol said today. The Cards catcher, who took a sinker off the shin guard, appears to have avoided serious injury, but the team is doing more testing on the knee.73973Just as the X-rays on his right knee came back negative, Willson Contreras’ MRI was clean, #STLCards manager Oli Marmol said today. The Cards catcher, who took a sinker off the shin guard, appears to have avoided serious injury, but the team is doing more testing on the knee.Willson Contreras is in the eighth year of his MLB career and is set to be a key player for the St. Louis Cardinals. After being selected to the All-Star team thrice with the Chicago Cubs, he has taken his talents to his former division rivals. The Cardinals expect him to play at an All-Star level, potentially being one of the best catchers in the world.Lank 🔥@chilipepper1969@JohnDenton555 Whew!! Dodged a literal bullet.@JohnDenton555 Whew!! Dodged a literal bullet.Mac@StlMac_@JohnDenton555 We are truly blessed12@JohnDenton555 We are truly blessed𝙻𝚘𝚐𝚊𝚗 𝙼. 𝙹𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚑@GreytBeyond@JohnDenton555 I've had bruises that feel like I broke something so I get it13@JohnDenton555 I've had bruises that feel like I broke something so I get itAvoiding a long-term injury was the best case scenario for Contreras after he left the Opening Day game early. The game against the Toronto Blue Jays may have resulted in a loss, but the fans don't mind that anymore.🅿️ushin 🅿️@RaisinBran1199@JohnDenton555 My knee is saved from donation@JohnDenton555 My knee is saved from donationEddie Nectar@venicequeenking@JohnDenton555 Good time to check in on who the emergency catcher is in case Hicks takes out another catcher someday.31@JohnDenton555 Good time to check in on who the emergency catcher is in case Hicks takes out another catcher someday.RealRedBirdFan@RealRedbirdFan@JohnDenton555 Throw some ice on it he will be just fine2@JohnDenton555 Throw some ice on it he will be just fineThe Cardinals won the division in 2022 and are the favorites to repeat as National League Central champions. Doing so without their best offseason addition would have required a Herculean effort. Contreras brings offensive and defensive consistency to a team with a lot to prove.☮️@MusialFan73@JohnDenton555 Well that is tremendous news.@JohnDenton555 Well that is tremendous news.Julia@Julia19424773@JohnDenton555 That knee probably still hurts pretty bad today!@JohnDenton555 That knee probably still hurts pretty bad today!Steven@Blackmasks@JohnDenton5552@JohnDenton555 https://t.co/fW9GqBVhGQWillson Contreras might have to miss some playing time, but not nearly as much as some St. Louis Cardinals fans feared.The St. Louis Cardinals are a dark horse candidate to win the National League in 2023Toronto Blue Jays v St. Louis CardinalsThe New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and more have taken the spotlight in the NL, but don't count out the Cardinals. They have a great mix of young talent and experienced players who know what it takes to win it all. Being the unheralded team of the conference allows for the team to play loose and without the burden of expectations.If the St. Louis Cardinals get hot at the end of the season, they could easily end the playoff hopes of an unexpecting competitor.