In the bottom of the third inning, Joc Pederson hustled from first to second to try to break up a double play. When he slid, he felt a snag in his groin.
The slide wasn’t in time, and now one of the National League’s hottest hitters could be heading to the injured list. Pederson, who has six home runs in 15 games, was replaced in the top of the fourth by Austin Slater and will get an MRI on his groin on Thursday.
“I was trying to get in the way of the throw, I guess,” Pederson told reporters postgame. “Took a bad step and just felt a little bit of tightness in my groin.”
Pederson, the Giants’ big offseason acquisition on the position player side, has begun 2022 scorching hot. He’s hitting .377 with an NL-best 1.132 OPS. He hit two home runs last Sunday against Washington, then another the next day in Milwaukee.
The 30-year-old outfielder said by the time he addressed reporters shortly after the Giants’ 1-0 loss, his groin had already begun to feel better. He walked with a slight limp.
“Hopefully it just grabbed a little bit and it’s not as bad as a pull,” Pederson said. “Just some tightness that we can work through. I’ll come in tomorrow, the off-day, for some treatment and do everything I can to get back on the field as soon as possible.”
But, if the MRI goes poorly, he could join a long list of Giants currently out of commission.
LaMonte Wade Jr. (knee), Evan Longoria (finger), Tommy La Stella (Achilles), Alex Cobb (right abductor strain) and Anthony DeSclafani (ankle) are all currently on the injured list.
Wade, who completed his third rehab assignment game Wednesday, is the closest to returning. But the Giants don’t want to rush him back if that would put his health in jeopardy in any way, Kapler said.
Before Wednesday’s game, Kapler said activating Wade wouldn’t be in the cards for the next two to three games. The team wants him to get reps at first base and play in back-to-back days before returning to San Francisco. Wade went 1-for-4 while leading off and serving as Sacramento’s designated hitter Wednesday.
If Pederson does have to hit the IL, and if all the reports on Wade’s health are squeaky clean, that may accelerate the latter’s timeline.
“We want (Wade) to be built up, healthy and strong,” Kapler said. “We want to be always taking the long view with these things. Obviously if Joc needs a few days, it would be nice to have LaMonte back sooner rather than later, but we’re not going to rush him. We’re not going to put him at risk.”
With Pederson, an injured list stint could knock him out of next week’s Dodgers series.
“I don’t really want to miss any games, but those games are always more fun,” Pederson said. “I don’t know. I think I’ve got to look at the bigger picture. You see our team, it’s a playoff caliber, World Series caliber team. The future is to be ready for the playoffs. The games matter now, but you don’t want to put yourself at injury that might cause you to not be able to play down the road. Just be cautious on that front and proactive at the same time with this great medical staff here.”