Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras suffers gruesome injury after he was struck by swing of Mets' JD Martinez

Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras suffered a horrifying broken arm when he was hit by a swing from JD Martinez during Tuesday's game against the New York Mets.

Contreras writhed around in agony after he was clipped by Martinez's bat. He was seen screaming as he climbed to his feet to run away from home plate.

It soon emerged that the three-time All-Star had suffered a broken left forearm, with replays showing the moment the bat struck near his wrist.

Contreras was eventually examined by St. Louis' athletic training staff, while Martinez was awarded first base due to catcher's interference. 

The Cardinals later confirmed that Contreras had a left forearm fracture, with Ivan Herrera taking over behind the plate.

Contreras doubled and scored during St. Louis' three-run first inning. He is hitting .280 with six homers and 12 RBI.