Gage (left elbow sprain) placed on IL, to undergo MRI on Monday

DENVER -- Giants left-hander Matt Gage had been nursing some elbow discomfort over the past couple of weeks, but he was hoping he’d be able to manage the issue and find a way to make it through to the All-Star break.

But Gage ended up exacerbating the injury during a 51-pitch relief appearance against the Rockies on Friday, when he gave up six runs over 1 1/3 innings in the Giants’ 15-3 loss at Coors Field.

The 33-year-old journeyman ultimately landed on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow sprain on Saturday, prompting the Giants to recall right-hander Spencer Bivens from Triple-A Sacramento to replace him in the bullpen.

Gage said he will undergo an MRI exam on Monday in San Francisco to determine the severity of the injury, but he expressed concern about his outlook. His fastball velocity dropped from 93.6 mph to 89.7 mph during the rough outing on Friday, and he said he didn’t want to throw splitters or sliders once he started to feel his left forearm tighten up during the game.

“I've been dealing with it for probably a week and a half, two weeks,” Gage said. “I was just trying to get through it because I was in the big leagues. I was just trying to keep pitching. The first 13 pitches felt great. Those other 38 did not.”

Regardless of what his imaging shows, Gage said he has no regrets about trying to grind through his taxing appearance on Friday.

“I left it all out there,” Gage said. “That’s what I’ve always told myself. If it is, it is. I did what I could do and I felt it all out there. I gave it all for [manager] Tony [Vitello] and the guys. I’m OK with that.”

It marked the second IL stint of the season for Gage, who also missed time with right knee inflammation last month. Gage recorded a 1.96 ERA over his first 28 appearances of the year, but he hadn’t looked the same since returning from his first IL stint on June 17, giving up 10 runs in 3 1/3 innings over his last five outings.

Still, Gage acknowledged that he didn’t disclose the extent of his elbow issue to the Giants’ medical staff until after he came out of Friday’s game.

“Communication is always vital,” Vitello said. “There’s a difference between being tough and being stubborn, a little bit. Gager had verbalized a little bit that he hadn’t been in the best spot the last couple of weeks, so I don’t think things improved for him at all.”

The Giants have had a couple of other instances of pitchers not speaking up about their physical limits this year. Keaton Winn landed on the 15-day IL with a right elbow strain after pitching in three consecutive days for the first time this year last month. Landen Roupp also looked off while trying to pitch through a back issue in a poor start against the Brewers on June 1.

“It is a fine line,” Vitello said. “We’ve talked about it with guys that want to push it and be out there all the time. I don’t think it’s necessarily swallowing your pride, but I think being a little bit strategic or just smart about looking out for yourself just as much as you’re looking out for the team. And at the end of the day, when guys are done playing, you guys know it, the fans know it, the coaches, the players know who the team guys are.”

Bivens was a regular in the Giants’ bullpen over the last two years, but he was unable to crack the Opening Day roster following an uneven showing during Spring Training this year. The 32-year-old finally earned his first callup of the 2026 season on Saturday after recording a 4.32 ERA over 23 appearances (six starts) for Triple-A Sacramento this year.