When catcher Willson Contreras of the St. Louis Cardinals was struck on his left arm by a swing Tuesday night, it was felt by former and current backstops all over the big leagues. Everyone from Salvador Perez in Kansas City to managers like Bruce Bochy and Rob Thomson.

It was especially painful for his Contreras’ brother, William.

“It’s hard for me, too, because I love my brother. He plays every day. But he’ll be back,” said William Contreras, a catcher with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Willson Contreras’ broken left forearm was a scary reminder of the increasing danger for catchers who have moved closer to home plate over the years in an effort to steal strike calls at the bottom of the zone — and sometimes even lower.

When a hitter with a long swing stands at the back of the batter’s box, there is precious little room to maneuver.

“The risk is high. We just experienced it,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said Wednesday. “It’s a huge risk, and it’s been talked about. Even in the offseason it was a topic of discussion because there was an increase in them. The more catchers are evaluated on framing, the closer they’re getting to the hitter to get that low pitch.”