© John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
SAN FRANCISCO — Bruce Bochy’s injury announcements have become a weekly staple of this Giants season. The majority of their starters have endured some type of injury that has sidelined them for a varying amount of extended time. And although the sting from a brutal injury bug has alleviated recently, the Giants still enter Tuesday night’s contest with the visiting Chicago Cubs without their starting third baseman, second baseman, and closer.
The first of Bochy’s updates concerned the most recently wounded Giant, second baseman Joe Panik, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list Saturday after injuring his groin over the weekend. The Giants have updated Panik’s timetable to three weeks, as Alen Hanson and Pablo Sandoval continue to start in his place. Bochy diagnosed Panik’s injury as a “mild-to-moderate” groin strain.
The next update centered on closer Hunter Strickland, who punched a door after blowing a save in mid-May, fractured his right hand, and was estimated as being sidelined for six-to-eight weeks. His return is projected around mid-August.
Bochy said Strickland saw a doctor Tuesday and had pins removed from his pitching hand.
“That is a big step in his recovery,” Bochy said. “He will start doing some rehab stuff.”
Meanwhile, third baseman Evan Longoria fielded grounders during pregame Tuesday and continues to make considerable progress after fracturing his hand in mid-June. His original timetable was set at six-to-eight weeks.
“We are just increasing (Longoria’s) baseball activities,” Bochy said. “He is really coming along very well.”