Tommy La Stella will receive an MRI on his left hamstring and “may be down for a bit” with an injury, Giants manager Gabe Kapler told The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly and other reporters following today’s 7-1 win over the Padres. La Stella pulled up while running home to score on an RBI grounder from Wilmer Flores in the fifth inning, and he was replaced in the field in the bottom half of the inning.
It brought a sour end to one of La Stella’s best days in a Giants uniform, as the second baseman was 2-for-3 (singled and tripled) with two RBI and two runs scored. Since signing a three-year, $18.75MM free agent deal with San Francisco during the offseason, La Stella was scuffling in the early going with his new team, hitting only .235/.297/.353 in his first 75 plate appearances.
Unfortunately, it seems like he’ll be set back with a visit to the 10-day injured list, joining Donovan Solano as another Giants infielder on the mend. A right calf strain shelved Solano back on April 21, and Kapler didn’t yet have a timeline about when the infielder could be back in action.
However, the manager’s pregame chat with reporters (including John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle) did provide more positive updates on a pair of injured Giants, such as another infield name in Brandon Crawford. The shortstop is still day-to-day after suffering a bruised left calf when hit by a pitch on Friday’s game, and though Crawford didn’t play in today’s game, Kapler indicated that Crawford was a possibility to be used as a late-game sub. This would indicate that Crawford might be ready to roll as early as Monday, when the Giants begin a road series against the Rockies in Denver.
Mike Yastrzemski might not be far behind, as Kapler thinks the outfielder might return from the IL after the 10-day minimum. Yastrzemski suffered a mild oblique strain on April 25 but the team was initially hopeful he could avoid the injured list entirely before finally sending him to the IL with a backdated April 26 placement. If “Yaz” is indeed able to return as soon as possible, he would be eligible for the Giants’ May 7 game against the Padres.
The news isn’t as good for Reyes Moronta, who is undergoing examination after feeling forearm tightness on Saturday. Moronta was warming up as part of his rehab from a right flexor strain, and after missing the entire 2020 season due to shoulder surgery, Moronta pitched in only four games in 2021 before being sidelined once more. Moronta has shown some promise when he has been able to pitch, posting a 2.65 ERA and 29.5% strikeout rate over 132 1/3 innings out of San Francisco’s bullpen since the start of the 2017 season.
Injuries seem to be rolling over the game like a tidal wave.
It’s like there’s something in the water in SF. Giants, Niners, and Warriors have had a crazy amount of injuries over the last year…
atuck_sfg:
Comparing baseball injuries to football and basketball injuries is apples and oranges. Every team in baseball. seems to be dealing with an abundance of injuries. Is there a baseball team that doesn’t have several players on the IL?
It was a joke… but the SF sports teams have dealt with more injuries than other cities, maybe it’s a coincidence, who knows. And no it’s not really apples to oranges when pretty much all of the injuries that have taken place for all 3 teams have been non-contact. I never said other teams weren’t dealing with injuries
Of course the giants are going to have injuries, a lot of the players are older and/or have injury histories, one of the limitations of building a roster on a shoestring is that it will happen that way, you get guys in the cheap that have underperformed or have potential health issues, but there is a number of depth pieces in the system for that reason
atuck_sfg, whormongr:
I’d still like to know which teams, if any, have fewer injuries than the Giants. It’s not about specific teams, or age, or low cost contracts, when virtually every team in MLB is pulling pitchers and players from starts, and putting guys on the IL. An everyday visit to MLBTR will confirm the extent of injuries and IL stints of the other teams..
If all the SF teams across the board are having bad luck with injuries, that’s just a coincidence. And yes, comparing football injuries to baseball injuries is apples and oranges.
I visit mlbtr daily, I see the injuries. Again… I never said other teams aren’t dealing with injuries. You again ask me for examples when I am agreeing other teams are dealing with injuries. But, when you consider from the giants: yaz, Cueto, Moranta, Crawford, solano, longo (playing but still hurt), now la Stella, still waiting on Beede recovery, jarlin Garcia, Lamonte wade, and a few other guys people don’t know, those are just active roster injuries. Now let’s go to the Warriors: Klay Thompson, oubre, Chriss( I know he was traded but after the injury), paschall, damion lee, James wiseman. Now the niners from last season: jalen Hurd, nick bosa, Jimmy G, mostert, Solomon Thomas, Richard Sherman, the list goes on because historically it was one of the most injured teams of all time. Again, I said “it’s like there’s something in the water in SF” as a joke because all the teams in SF have dealt with so many injuries over the last two seasons. So, in no way, shape, or form did I say other teams aren’t dealing with injuries. But, as a fan of all Bay Area sports it’s been tough seeing all the injuries to all the top players for the last year and half and every day it seems like a new player for the giants is getting hurt. Now I never compared the injuries in each sport, merely stated that there were a lot of injuries in each sport from teams that are playing in the same city (technically). So again I’ll state “it seems like there’s something in the water in SF” as a JOKE. But if you want to take my original comment seriously, by all means go for it. Giants are in first place for the first time in what feels like forever ago and I’m glad they’re pitching so well and I hope they keep it up. Go Giants, in Farhan we trust.
Dodgers have far more injuries than the Giants, so do the Padres
The first place San Francisco Giants.
Has a nice ring to it.
Played terribly majority of the Padres series, but can’t really blame the offense for being lifeless when the two main contributors from last year are on the shelf. Pitching has been fun to watch at the very least.
I don’t think they played bad but they played scared. Ruf almost hit a pinch hit grand slam on Friday which probably gives the series to the Giants. The team as a whole needs to believe they not only can hang with those guys but can beat them any given night.
What I wanted to comment on is Moronta. I never bought into him being able to come back from his horrible injury. That and he showed up to spring training out of shape and overweight. So not surprised he’s got some forearm issues. I wish him the best but it might be time for the Giants to cut ties here.
Absolutely no reason for the Giants to “cut ties” with Moronta. If he heals, he could be a high-end closer. If not, there’s nothing lost trying to rehabilitate him. A serious talent with a serious injury.
First game was neck and neck and the second was just the bullpen dropping it dominated today, don’t see that as terrible, just not dominant
That sucks about La Stella. Hopefully Flores didn’t start bawling again once Tommy got injured. He sure cries a lot.
Good to know you define someone for having emotions. Heaven forbid.
The only one crying around here is you.
Where’s that TonyGwen guy that always comments? I would’ve thought for sure he had something to say!
The Padres are behind the Giants. He won’t show.
the Giants will find a way to wins. no worries.
I think that defines the team right now, finding ways to win, it is fun to watch when all of the predictors had them if not the worst team in the bottom 5 teams before the season started
True but it’s May 2nd. The last real season we had also had sf starting red hot only to barely hold up the rear by the end. Let’s see if they can maintain once SD & LA are back up to at least half strength