© Cody Glenn | 2019 Jun 12
Every game matters when a team is in the midst of a postseason push, and any injury could swing a season. The Giants were bit by the injury bug once again Wednesday afternoon, this time to Steven Duggar.
Duggar made a spectacular diving catch on a line drive from Juan Soto with the bases loaded in the fourth inning to keep the deficit at four runs, but while making the catch he re-injured his surgically repaired left shoulder. Last season, Duggar dislocated the same shoulder and tore his labrum while diving back into second base against the Diamondbacks.
“We’re going to get a MRI here soon just to see where we’re at with it,” Bruce Bochy said after the Giants’ 4-1 loss at Oracle Park. “Right now it’s a left shoulder sprain. I feel terrible for the kid. He got over the last time he was hurt and was playing pretty good.”
With a trip to the IL probable for Duggar, Bochy said the Giants are likely to summon another outfielder. The two prime candidates for a call-up are Chris Shaw and Jaylin Davis.
“We have not huddled up yet,” Bochy said. “So I don’t have anything for you now, but we’ll talk soon.”
Shaw, who had 54 at-bats with the Giants last year, has slashed .300/.362/.596 with 15 homers and 50 RBIs in 52 games with Triple-A Sacramento this season. Davis, who was acquired at the trade deadline from Minnesota in the Sam Dyson deal, has played four games in Sacramento and continued his torrid pace, hitting .571 with two homers, three doubles and nine RBIs.
With a team struggling to score runs (four in three games) and win games (1-6 this month), the Giants will need someone who can help immediately, as Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater did.
The injury is another tough break in what has been a tough season for Duggar. He had been recalled when the team was in Colorado last series and was hitting .250 in the five games he played before getting injured again. He broke camp with the team, but cited “bad eggs” that caused him to drop weight to start the season.
In 73 games this year, he has slashed .234/.275/.341 with four homers and 28 RBIs.