PHOENIX — The Giants are already lacking their beginning third baseman. For roughly the following week, they’ll be with out their backup.
The workforce introduced on Monday afternoon that they positioned infielder Casey Schmitt on the 10-day injured listing (retroactive to June 27) with left hand irritation. In a corresponding transfer, the Giants recalled infielder Tyler Fitzgerald from Triple-A Sacramento per week after optioning him.
“It’s unlucky, however you undergo these kind of issues,” mentioned supervisor Bob Melvin. “We misplaced our different third baseman earlier, too. It’s simply a part of the method over the course of an extended season. You give anyone else a possibility, and a man like Christian Koss has been doing an excellent job over there.”
Melvin mentioned it’s doable that Schmitt spends the minimal period of time on the injured listing earlier than returning.
Schmitt, 26, sustained the harm when he was plunked within the left hand/wrist space by a 95.2 mph sinker from the Miami Marlins’ Calvin Faucher. The third baseman was positioned within the beginning lineups on Saturday and Sunday towards the Chicago White Sox however was scratched each days. His MRI on Monday got here again clear however there was nonetheless bruising within the space.
“He wished to be in there. We felt like he was making sufficient progress to be in there,” Melvin mentioned of Schmitt being scratched. “That’s in all probability my fault for placing him in there slightly prematurely. The final couple of days, it’s mainly been the identical for him.”
The timing of Schmitt’s harm is very unlucky for the infielder given how properly he was enjoying.
In 14 video games as Chapman’s alternative, Schmitt had a slash line of .375/.444/.646 with 4 dwelling runs and 12 RBIs whereas enjoying above-average protection at third base. Given his efficiency, Schmitt positioned himself to take over as San Francisco’s beginning second baseman as soon as Chapman returned from harm.
Koss will proceed beginning at third base in the interim with Chapman and Schmitt each out. In 4 video games as San Francisco’s momentary beginning third baseman, Koss is 8-for-15 with three runs scored.
With Schmitt hitting the injured listing, Fitzgerald returns to San Francisco from Sacramento sooner than anticipated.
The Giants optioned Fitzgerald, their Opening Day second baseman, to Triple-A final Monday, the purpose being for him to mentally reset. Upon getting back from the injured listing in mid-Could, Fitzgerald hit .186/.245/.227 with no dwelling runs and three RBIs over 32 video games.
“I wasn’t stunned,” Fitzgerald mentioned of being optioned. “I felt that possibly it would come ultimately. I wasn’t enjoying how I must be enjoying. I can’t blame anybody for it. However it was an excellent little reset for the few video games I did get in and we’ll attempt to go from there.”
Fitzgerald solely ended up enjoying 4 video games with the River Cats, going 4-for-15 earlier than he was additionally hit within the left hand by an errant pitch on Friday. The plunking stored Fitzgerald out of Sacramento’s lineup on Saturday and Sunday however he’s slated to start out for San Francisco on Monday, batting seventh and beginning at second base.
“Watching Schmitty get hit within the hand, I sort of ready myself to get the decision at any day,” Fitzgerald mentioned. “Solely getting (4) video games down there’s a little unlucky, however I feel mentally, I’m slightly bit extra refreshed and able to go.”
Chapman continues making progress
Chapman took one other necessary step in the direction of getting back from his proper hand harm by taking batting follow at Chase Area previous to Monday’s recreation.
Melvin mentioned the Giants are hopeful that Chapman will have the ability to return in the course of the workforce’s six-game dwelling stand previous to the All-Star Break towards the Philadelphia Phillies (July 7-9) and Los Angeles Dodgers (July 11-13).
“We’ll see the way it goes,” Melvin mentioned. “Took BP within the cage, has to take BP on the sector. We received to present him some sort of dwell at-bats and so forth, nevertheless it’s headed within the path that we predict it’s going to.”
Chapman, 32, has not performed since June 8 after injuring his proper hand when sliding again to first base. Over 65 video games, Chapman is hitting .243 with 12 dwelling runs, 30 RBIs and an .812 OPS.
Encarnacion begins throwing program
Together with Chapman, infielder/outfielder Jerar Encarnacion began his throwing program at this time and can provoke his hitting development on Tuesday.
Encarnacion missed the primary two months of the season after struggling a left hand fracture in the direction of the tip of spring coaching, then sustained a left indirect pressure in mid-June. In his little time with the workforce this 12 months, Encarnacion has gone 3-for-22 with six strikeouts over eight video games.
