SAN FRANCISCO -- One day after watching rookie Carson Whisenhunt depart his start with a left elbow injury, the Giants saw an eerily similar scene unfold with veteran right-hander Adrian Houser.
Houser exited Tuesday night’s 3-1 win over the Reds after experiencing right flexor tightness in the top of the second inning at Oracle Park. Houser started shaking and flexing his right arm after striking out Matt McClain swinging on a 94.5 mph fastball and continued to look uncomfortable after throwing another 93.6 mph heater to Héctor Rodríguez, drawing a mound visit from catcher Drew Cavanaugh.
Assistant athletic trainer Ryo Watanabe and manager Tony Vitello also emerged from the dugout to check on Houser, who subsequently walked off the field after throwing only 26 pitches over 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Houser said he dealt with a similar issue in 2022, when he missed close to two months with a right flexor strain. He’ll undergo an MRI exam on Wednesday, but he sounded optimistic about his outlook following the game.
“I was trying to gut through it and get through it,” Houser said. “It’s been barking a little bit. But it kind of got to the point where I was just feeling it every time. We wanted to play it safe. Hopefully, everything is good and it’s just a minor setback.”
Right-hander Anthony Molina, who was acquired from the Braves in exchange for Tyler Mahle earlier this month, entered the game to replace Houser and earned the win after tossing 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his Giants debut. The victory clinched San Francisco’s first series win since July 27-29 against the Brewers.
“It was a quick ramp-up for me, but luckily I was able to get the job done,” Molina said in Spanish.
Houser’s departure is the latest injury concern for the Giants, who also announced Tuesday that Whisenhunt has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow and has been recommended to undergo surgery.
Whisenhunt was scheduled to meet with team doctors on Tuesday evening to determine his next steps, though he seems likely to join fellow young starters Hayden Birdsong and Trevor McDonald in needing season-ending Tommy John surgery this year.
“I think it was kind of expected for him and for everybody else,” Vitello said ahead of the game. “Whether it's a surprise or no matter how you get there, it's not good to be there. But I think Whiz has a good mindset right now, relatively good spirits. Everybody's kind of gone out of their way up there to let him know they care about him.
“We’re going to have to forge ahead once he figures out what the plan is. I think more than likely -- whether it's extra conversations or a second look or getting with his agency -- maybe things will clear up a little bit more. But obviously, surgery is recommended. It’s probably going to be needed, and then he'll start his climb back.”
The Giants also put out a concerning update on shortstop Willy Adames, who was diagnosed with a moderate UCL sprain in his left (non-throwing) elbow after sliding awkwardly into home plate against the Red Sox on Sunday. Adames is in the process of seeking out a second opinion, but it’s possible that surgery could be on the table for him, as well.
“To rule anything out would be a little bit drastic or jumping the gun a little bit,” Vitello said. “But it’s certainly different. Non-throwing arm, it’s a sprain. It’s something I think he can work to rehab, see where it’s at, get it re-evaluated, and then go from there. There’s kind of a wide range of possibilities.”
Whisenhunt suffered the elbow injury in the third inning of the Giants’ 5-0 win over the Reds on Monday. He said he started to feel discomfort on the final two pitches of his outing, prompting the Giants to remove him from the game after 2 2/3 innings.
Whisenhunt, 25, went 3-4 with a 6.49 ERA over eight starts this year, but he felt everything was starting to click before he got hurt on Monday, which made the setback even more frustrating.
“I felt really good until the last batter I faced,” Whisenhunt said. “Everything was kind of coming together. The body was moving the way it’s supposed to. Just all the work that I’d been doing, I felt like it had finally translated.”
San Francisco recalled right-hander Spencer Bivens from Triple-A Sacramento to replace Whisenhunt, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow sprain on Tuesday.
If he opts for Tommy John surgery, Whisenhunt is likely to miss the entire 2027 campaign, which would be another major blow to San Francisco's starting pitching depth. Logan Webb and Landen Roupp are projected to anchor the Giants’ rotation in ‘27, but the organization will need to determine whether other internal options such as Blade Tidwell, Matt Wilkinson and Molina can be part of the solution moving forward as well.
“I think the door is open for some of the guys that we have in the organization that are teetering on, ‘Is this guy going to be a starter or not,’” Vitello said. “The opportunity is there more than ever.”