The Giants placed shortstop Brandon Crawford on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to June 25) due to left knee inflammation. The recently acquired Yermin Mercedes has been called up from Triple-A and will take Crawford’s spot on the active roster.
Crawford hurt his knee Tuesday while awkwardly sliding into home plate, and the injury forced him out of that game and caused him to miss three of San Francisco’s last four contests. However, it doesn’t appear as if the problem is too serious, as manager Gabe Kapler feels Crawford will miss just the minimum 10 days. As Kapler explained to The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser and other reporters, the IL placement would be something of a general reset, as Crawford has been playing through some nagging injuries for much of the season.
Playing at less than 100 percent could explain the dropoff from Crawford’s 2021 numbers, as the shortstop enjoyed the best season of his career at age 34. Crawford finished fourth in NL MVP voting last year, but he has followed up that performance by hitting just .224/.313/.350 over his first 243 plate appearances of 2022. Some regression at the plate was perhaps inevitable, but Crawford’s usually-strong defense has also fallen off, which could hint at larger physical issues.
The hope is that the 10-day break will allow Crawford to heal up for the second half of the season, and he can then help the Giants return to the postseason. In the interim, Thairo Estrada and Donovan Walton are the likeliest candidates to cover shortstop in Crawford’s absence. Creating the chain reaction in the Giants’ platoon-heavy lineup, this could also mean more time for Tommy La Stella and Wilmer Flores at second base, to cover Estrada’s playing time. Likewise, Mercedes could now get the DH at-bats previously occupied by La Stella and Flores.
Brandon Crawford. LOL
It’s only June and his 35 year old body can’t handle the rigors of the MLB season. This is what happens when you try to build a roster on the cheap , re-sign a 35 year old SS that can’t Hit and who has lost a step defensively , instead of signing a Premium Elite SS like Seager or Correa
Fernando Tatis Jr. hasn’t played a game all year, pipe down little buddy.
@pinstripes17 That is correct. However, Tatis Jr is 23 years old, An incredible talent. And is expected to play soon.
Oldasss Brandon Crawford and the mediocre SF Giants will be home on the COUCH in October watching Fernando hit bombs in the postseason
You’re hilarious kiddo. You let me know when the Padres win anything in their pathetic existence. 0 rings kid. Z-E-R-O.
Your point was obliterated and you failed miserably to follow it up with a coherent response.
Pins,
“…pipe down, Sparky.” would’ve been a much better verbal pummeling. It’s my gift to you.
TonyGwynnSD19. LOL. It’s only June and I’ve only seen 40 some Giants LOL posts. Obviously your fingers can’t take the rigors of true keyboard trolling. Keep trying my man, you’ll break into the big leagues someday.
You might be right! However, you are minimizing what this guy has done for years! Taking to Gwyn JR poster!
Don’t bother talking to him. I hate the Giants too, but this guy’s just a troll.
What happened to Heliot Ramos? Is he already back down in the minors with Joey Bart?
I trust Farhan, but do wish he’d go out a make a big move. Luis Gonzalez looks like a nice find thus far though.
Zaidi’s big move should be firing Kapler. 12-12 so far during June after today’s thrashing by the Reds. Kapler’s become a distraction with his protests and lack of motivating the Giants.
Agreed.
@Red, just because YOU are out off by Kapler’s beliefs and related actions doesn’t mean his players are. I know how offended you get by people like Kap expressing their displeasure with our political leadership by simply staying in the clubhouse during the National Anthem, but please. That has no effect on the team’s play.
Doesn’t affect the players. Thursday Longoria and Estrada were standing at their positions kicking around infield dirt like “Teeball players.” And Longoria misses what should have been a DP that resulted in Braves scoring 5 runs in 2nd inning. Estrada misses 2 ground balls that should have been caught. Estrada dives to the ground like he couldn’t make the play. And hometown scorekeeper put them in the books as hits when anyone watching could see they were errors.
You sendin’ the wolf?
Redwolves3 — That’s patently ridiculous. Talk about knee-jerk reaction. Thank goodness you’re not in charge of a major league team.
Lifelong Giants fan but for some reason this year’s team feels incredibly boring to me. Maybe Webb and Rodon are fun to follow I guess. Feels like the vets are showing their age (injured a lot), have a bunch of role players and the first wave of young stars we’re supposed to be excited about aren’t really creating much of a buzz (talking to you Heliot And Bart).
I don’t think anyone was that upset when Crawford got his two year contract last year. Also we felt it was a god move when the other Brandon got a QO. As we approach the halfway point of the season, it looks like age has caught up to both of them. While we can be critical of the hitting and defense, it is also apparent that Webb and Rodon anchor the rest of a mediocre group of pitchers. It’s going to be a rough next 90 games. FZ is going to have an interesting off-season given the number of expiring contracts. Judge is worth pursuing. Usually I’m against such contracts but Judge is an exception.
No Thank You to Judge !!
I say that the Giants need a big bat, a closer, couple of relief pitchers, a Catcher and a real backup shortstop that is not a second baseman
Hard pass on Judge… imagine Pujols’s contract with the Angels for my prediction of where that will go.
I feel like Zaidi has been thinking of 2024 since 2021, and that’s why he didn’t really dip his toes in free agency. Tons of money coming off the books after this year (Longo and Belt). They could grab a slugging first baseman, outfielder or middle infielder in the next two offseasons, and sprinkle in some of these prospects. Next season Harrison will be up here pulling a Tim Lincecum 2.0. If Rodon stays or we resign him to a bigger deal that will be an incredibly fun 1-2-3 rotation, with Disco (shudder) and Wood filling out the other two spots.
I would absolutely relish a big bat in the 3 slot for consistency and to even out the rest of the lineup. I’d love to see Trea Turner in orange and black with a 6 year deal.
Unfortunately, the need for an everyday RH bat was obvious this past winter, and the Giants stood still. Even Freddie Freeman would have been a terrific everyday player with the fragile Brandon Belt switching off to DH.
Except for Webb and Rodon, the starting pitching is meh. Tyler Rogers and Jake McGee, ouff.
But here we are, with a mediocre team that can’t beat the Reds, the Pirates (they should have swept) and the Royals. It will be interesting to see who the Giants go for at the trade deadline and this winter.
Thank goodness for Luis Gonzalez and Joc Pederson. And let’s get Lamont back!
Judge will use the Giants, like Harper and Scherzer did, to up the money and contract years. And in the end Judge will resign with the Yankees.
Zaidi will say Giants made an effort to sign Judge but couldn’t come to an agreement. This more money for the team to hold onto and more “dumpster diving.”
Kapler: “We have to do a better job of concentrating, especially when games are beginning to move fast and sometimes seemingly spinning a little bit out of control,” Kapler said. “Those are the moments we need to calm down and in a high level of concentration run through plays in our minds before they happen. That’s just an area of improvement for us. It’s really hurt us this year.”
The Giants will attempt to regroup after Monday’s off-day, though Kapler plans to use the break in the schedule to meet with his coaching staff and discuss ways to improve their processes.”
Bottom line: The buck stops with Kapler. It’s his job to turn things around. If not, he needs to be fired … just like Phillies had seen enough of Girardi.
Dude win manager of the year and had the Giants win the most games in franchise history. You’re ready to fire him a few months into the next season, huh? Who would you like to see replace him?
*won
Not used to all of the doom and gloom from the usually sunny-dispositioned Giants fans. It’s kind of refreshing.
Is Crawford Still on the team?