Crawford shut down by knee pain
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. >> The Giants had made it three weeks into spring with hardly a single health problem of note, but it has become clear this week that they couldn't dodge the injury bug forever.
The entire left half of their projected Opening Day infield has been shut down, the club announced Monday, a day after an MRI revealed an oblique strain that put into question the availability of their highest-paid free-agent addition and one of their best stories of camp, a two-way player throwing 98 mph, left his outing with discomfort in his forearm.
Shortstop Brandon Crawford is dealing with discomfort in his left knee, the same one he injured on a slide into home plate last June. That injury forced him onto the injured list twice and cost him a month of the season. He won't participate in any baseball activities for the next week.
Third baseman David Villar, who was scratched from the Giants' lineup Sunday, had an MRI that revealed a mild strain in his hip flexor. While manager Gabe Kapler said he only had “mild” concern regarding Villar's availability for Opening Day, he also will miss at least the next few games. He'll be re-evaluated daily, according to the club.
Crawford and Villar join a growing group of sidelined players that includes Mitch Haniger (oblique), Ronald Guzmán (forearm), Luis González (back) and Thomas Szapucki (arm).
While Haniger's MRI revealed his oblique strain is the mildest variety and he expressed confidence that he'll be ready for Opening Day, those injuries don't lend themselves to straightforward return-to-play timelines. As manager Gabe Kapler said recently, “Sometimes they feel like they're 100% healed and they're not always 100% healed.”
González visited a spine specialist in Los Angeles on Monday to seek a second opinion on his back, which sent him to the injured list twice in 2022 and has been an issue for him since before the Giants acquired him. Szapucki, who said he couldn't feel his fingers in his one outing this spring, is also seeking a second opinion, the club said.
Guzmán, who has drawn rave reviews on the mound as he attempts to transition into a two-way player, has an MRI scheduled Monday. He left his last outing after throwing a pitch to the backstop and doubling over in pain, which he said originated in his forearm.
On the bright side, Alex Cobb, who left his last start after being struck in the knee by a hard-hit comebacker, is scheduled to throw his next bullpen Tuesday. And Austin Slater (elbow) said he is “100%” confident that he'll be ready for Opening Day after making his spring debut Sunday.