Here are the latest health updates from around the game:
- Royals first baseman Lucas Duda is heading to the DL as well, the team announced, owing to a bout of plantar fasciitis. It seems the expectation is that the left-handed-hitting slugger won’t miss too terribly long, with skipper Ned Yost saying it may be anywhere from just under a week to three weeks before he’ll be back. (Via Rustin Dodd of The Athletic, on Twitter.) Duda is still sitting under league average with his output on the year, though he has surged a bit of late. If he can get back to health and start hitting closer to his career mean, Duda could still be a trade piece for K.C. this summer. Former first-round pick Hunter Dozier will come up to take the open roster spot.
- The Twins provided updates on a pair of key rehabbing players, as conveyed by Phil Miller of the Star Tribune (Twitter links). Righty Ervin Santana has finally thrown his first live batting practice session and may be nearing a start in extended spring. He has been coming along slowly from finger surgery and will still need to fully ramp up and complete a rehab assignment before he’s ready for the majors. Meanwhile, third baseman Miguel Sano is still not close to being activated from a hamstring strain. Indications are he’ll at least be out for another week.
- Not long after returning from a brief DL stint, Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu is going back on the shelf, this time with a left thumb sprain. It’s not clear how long he’ll be out, but there’s also no reason to suspect it’ll be a lengthy absence. The 29-year-old, a pending free agent, has played well thus far, slashing a sturdy .279/.350/.457 with five home runs in his 143 plate appearances. Utilityman Pat Valaika takes the open roster spot.
- Meanwhile, the Giants have sent infielder Alen Hanson onto the 10-day DL with a hamstring strain while bringing back Austin Slater, who may need to see a bit of time in the infield. That’s a tough break for Hanson, a minor-league signee who had impressed in his 14 games of action after previously failing to gain traction in the majors. He has produced at a healthy .298/.346/.638 clip in 52 trips to the plate. As for Slater, the 25-year-old has demolished Triple-A pitching thus far, with a .386/.456/.670 batting line in 103 plate appearances. He has spent most of his career in the outfield, but does have a bit of experience under his belt at second base.
Slater should be starting in left field with Mac still out and Pence completely done as a useful player and injured again.
Agreed but he won’t cause Bochy. Slater will likely only be up for one game as the Giants have Gomez in AA on his way from back east to be called up tomorrow cause they need an extra IF and Bochy cannot handle not having an 8 man bullpen, even if most are just gascans. So slater will likely now only be up for one day and have to wait 10 days till he’s eligible for his next call up…….such a Giantsy move
If you guys don’t like Bochy anymore, there isn’t a club out there who wouldn’t take him.
Lol save for any team that is analytic minded. Dude is a dinosaur
That dinosaur is a first ballot hall of famer
I can’t help but feel like the Giants grossly mismanaged their talent this year. Obviously you can’t predict the injuries the team has sustained, but why on Earth did management think signing Jackson over allowing Duggar to prove himself was a good idea? I understand that he’s a very young prospect and the Giants typically move fairly slowly with these guys… But when are we going to stop hearing about it and start seeing it? There’s so many productive/serviceable outfielders in AAA and on the MLB roster it’s mind boggling. Blanco, Hernandez, Duggar, Cutch, Williamson. Then you’ve got pence and Jackson taking up space and payroll, denying the younger, higher ceiling players opportunities to contribute. It’s truly frustrating to be a Giants fan, sometimes. I sure hope they make a huge push for Harper or Machado come winter, and don’t bloat the 40 man with unproductive players…
Duggar hasn’t even been impressive in AAA, that’s why they signed Jackson…I’m guessing Shaw’s going to get called up before Duggar if he keeps hitting how he is
Duggar needs more seasoning……his offseason hype that the brass heaped on & the media trumpeted was misguided. He had only minimal AB’s above A+ ball & was coming off an injury plagued year.
Shaw’s K rate is bad & he doesn’t walk…….until he really earns it, I think the Giants will play it out with what they got…..hopefully with a healthy Mac & Slater
Move sano to full time DH that body isn’t gonna hold up at this rate. Twins fans are starting to realize who these players are and sano in my eyes has no future here. Like bro just cut the partying with cano and Jay-z and cut your strike out rate 5+ points and we’ll see.
I agree, especially is Escobar keeps doing what he is doing.