San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Belt seeking other medical opinions on knee injury
In an indication that the initial news wasn’t great about his right knee injury,
Brandon Belt is seeking multiple opinions about the next course of action. Manager Gabe Kapler said Saturday that the Giants’ first baseman will speak to prominent orthopedic surgeon Dr.
Neal ElAttrache when the team is in Los Angeles next week, and Belt also is scheduled to see Dr. Timothy McAdams, an orthopedist who specializes in knee surgery, at Stanford on Tuesday.
Belt was injured trying to score on an overthrow in Anaheim on Wednesday and the Giants have described his injury as knee inflammation.
The Giants also were without catcher Buster Posey again Saturday, but Kapler fully expects Posey, who has lower back tightness, to be in the lineup Sunday. Kapler also said Posey was available as the team’s emergency catcher Saturday. “I don’t have concerns about this being a major problem,” Kapler said.
With Posey out, Curt Casali got a rare second consecutive start behind the plate.
Casali entered Saturday 8 for his past 19 with two homers, and his catcher’s ERA was 2.74, the secondbest mark in the majors.
“You’re always gonna lose something when Buster is not in the lineup,” Kapler said. “It’s not just what he does at the plate, it’s not one specific department of his game, it’s just kind of his overall presence. But because Casali is swinging the bat well, he feels more confident and comfortable in the batter’s box, and the work that he’s done with our pitchers all year, even during stages when he wasn’t swinging the bat well — it’s nice to have that level of play
behind Buster.”
La Stella fracture: Second baseman Tommy La Stella, who is on the 60day injured list with a hamstring strain, has a small fracture in his right thumb after getting hurt during pregame activity at TripleA Sacramento on Thursday, Kapler said.
La Stella will be in a splint for a week and probably out of action for two weeks, which means he won’t come off the IL when eligible on July 2.
Briefly: Aaron Sanchez’s next start at TripleA Sacramento is up in the air after a blister caused him to leave his Friday start after two innings. Sanchez is on the IL with a biceps strain . ... Logan Webb’s simulated inning Sunday will be 20 pitches, a prelude to a rehab assignment . ... The River Cats announced that first baseman Justin Bour has been released.