Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski suffered a left hamstring strain while diving for a fly ball in the eighth inning of today’s game with the Padres. Matt Carpenter’s fly to shallow center field fell in for what ended up as the game-winning two-run double in San Diego’s 6-4 victory, as Yastrzemski made a long run for the ball and fell just short of a highlight-reel catch. After the play was over, Yastrzemski left the game after a visit from team trainers.
Speaking with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser and other reporters after the game, Yastrzemski said the injury occurred on the second step of his run towards the ball. The outfielder will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the strain, but a trip to the 10-day injured list certainly seems likely.
After seemingly breaking out with the Giants in 2019-20, Yastrzemski was roughly a league-average hitter (102 wRC+) over his next two seasons, batting .219/.308/.424 with 42 homers over 1090 plate appearances in 2021-22. Teams increasingly played the shift against the left-handed hitting Yastrzemski in those two seasons, so it isn’t surprising that he has been off to a much more promising start in 2023, given the new rules limiting defensive shifts. Yaz has hit .292/.333/.521 with five home runs in his first 102 PA, and while below-average strikeout and walk rates and a notable gap in his wOBA (.364) to his xwOBA (.327) indicate he is somewhat outperforming his peripherals, Yastrzemski is still making plenty of hard contact.
Since Bryce Johnson is still on the seven-day concussion IL, Slusser figures that Brett Wisely (just called up as the Giants’ extra player for their two-game series in Mexico City) will probably stick with the team to get a chunk of the center field work with Yastrzemski sidelined. Austin Slater also just recently returned from the injured list, making a Slater/Wisely platoon the likeliest answer in center field until Yastrzemski or Johnson are back.
The two games in Mexico City provided plenty of injury drama for the Giants, as Brandon Crawford and Sean Manaea each picked up knocks on Saturday. Crawford left the game in the fourth inning due to some right calf tightness and didn’t play today, but told Slusser and other reporters that hopes to be back in action for Monday’s date with the Astros. Manaea was hit on the leg by a Nelson Cruz line drive on Saturday and lasted only 2 2/3 innings, but appeared to be okay today.
That astroturf in CDMX is hard as a rock.
Wasn’t a problem for the Padres. Weakasss Giants got SWEPT
27chumpy – it was 2 games. Same thing would have happened if they’d only played the Mets 2 games. But that was a 4 game set and they won the last 2.
27chumpy Giants didn’t get swept by the spankees. We beat the spankees, in their own house
“Yastrzemski was roughly a league-average hitter (102 wRC+) over his next two seasons, batting .219/.308/.424…”
THAT’S league average? Oy vey!
.730 OPS usually sits around league average. Sometimes it’s not pretty.
Mike Yastrzemski is mediocre B guy. Giants were playing him in CF
How is it that Zaidi and the Giants can’t do better than Mike Yastrzemski in Center Field ?
Yastrzemski has HOF pedigree DNA. Sounds like someone’s jealous about that.
I used to go to the original YS to watch Grandpa Yaz. Sat in LF when I did. I root for grandson Mike. But a .219 avg or a .308 OBP doesn’t evoke jealoi.
Before getting injured he was hitting .290? Did you all fail to read the article? Or do you all not know how to read in general.
Heal up Yaz! We will miss you! It was like Twilight Zone baseball in Mexico City, I’m glad we got out of there without the whole team with pulled hammys!
It was crazy indeed. I’m glad we got out without worse
I hope mlb re-evaluates this. Felt like a horrible cash grab. Wanted Mexico fans, but were disinterested in providing a good environment for players/fans.
1. Field and turf not up to mlb standards
2. Counterfeit tickets rampant
3. Almost no “world tour” merch
4. Massive lines, huge crowds, no crowd control.
This felt like a publicity stunt gone wrong.
I’d much rather see slater play every day, than be platooned with Wisely. Wisely is barely batting over .050. Maybe this could be Heliot Ramos time to get a chance.
I am ok with wisely getting some more time – slater isn’t great defensively. I am more wondering if crawford is on the shelf and wisely has to play CF if we are going to get to see either wilson or schmitt called up
Slater isn’t horrible defensively. I don’t see Wisely as being any better. He’s an infielder by trade. Neither Wilson or Schmitt are ready for MLB yet.
But if/when they get called up, we can probably count on Farhan and Kapler mistreating them. It’s nice to see the players themselves starting to speak up.
I watched that as it happened. Not a doctor, but based on the apparent severity – Yaz struggled mightily to exit the field under his own power – I’m gonna say this will be a 60-day IL placement.
Yikes!
Again, he’s not a doctor and is merely opining. I wouldn’t get flustered.
Nooooooooo.
LOL underlying metrics hilarious