The San Francisco Giants have lost Harrison Bader to another injury just two weeks after he returned from the injured list. Manager Tony Vitello provided the latest update Saturday after the Giants placed Bader on the 10-day injured list with left plantar fasciitis.
The move came less than 24 hours after the outfielder exited Friday night’s 8-6 walk-off loss to the Colorado Rockies. Bader started in center field Friday and looked set to finish the game until discomfort suddenly flared up in his left foot during the eighth inning.
Read According to San Francisco Chronicle reporter Susan Slusser on X, Vitello said Bader first felt the injury while chasing Ezequiel Tovar’s go-ahead home run. The Giants immediately turned to rookie Drew Gilbert, who took over in center field for the ninth inning.
Vitello expressed optimism that a minimum 10-day absence could solve the problem and get Bader back on the field quickly. The injury marks Bader’s second stint on the injured list this season. He missed nearly a month earlier in the year with a left hamstring strain and did not return until May 11.
Vitello says Bader felt it on Tovar’s HR in the eighth, why Gilbert took over in center in the ninth. Hope is the 10 days knocks it out. Brennan primarily a LH option off the bench, but Vitello emphasizes how excellent Brennan was this spring. Tougher in very limited ABs.
https://x.com/susanslusser/status/2060857151091081481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
That first injury disrupted what was already a difficult start to his Giants career. Before the hamstring issue sidelined him, Bader hit just .152 with no home runs and a .338 OPS across 15 games.
Bader looked like a completely different player after returning, and over his next 15 games he hit four home runs, drove in 13 runs and posted a .769 OPS. However, he delivered two grand slams within a one-week span and helped provide much-needed power for a lineup that struggled to score consistently.
He has now appeared in only 30 of the Giants’ first 57 games this season due to the two injuries. The 31-year-old signed a two-year, $20.5 million contract during the off-season, but health issues have prevented him from building momentum.
The Giants have filled his roster spot by recalling outfielder Will Brennan from Triple-A Sacramento, one day after sending him down to make room for Jung Hoo Lee’s return. Vitello praised Brennan’s performance during spring training and said the left-handed hitter could help off the bench while Bader recovers.
San Francisco Giants center fielder Harrison Bader (9). © Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images © Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
Brennan hit .250 with a .667 OPS in limited major league action before the brief demotion. Outfielder Drew Gilbert is also expected to see more opportunities in Bader’s absence. The 25-year-old rookie entered Friday’s game after Bader exited and figures to receive regular playing time in center field.
Through 38 games this season, Gilbert owns a .229 batting average, two home runs, 12 RBIs and a .620 OPS. Bader’s injury creates another challenge for a Giants outfield that already includes Heliot Ramos on the injured list.
Ramos landed on the IL on May 15 with a right quad strain, and Vitello previously estimated he would miss several weeks. The Giants now head into the coming stretch without two important outfielders. They hope Bader’s latest setback proves less serious than his previous one.
If the plantar fasciitis responds well to treatment, he could return shortly after the minimum stay and continue the offensive surge he showed after coming back from the hamstring injury.
