SAN FRANCISCO -- After being taken to a local hospital to be evaluated on Friday night, first baseman Brandon Belt underwent an appendectomy, the Giants said. He was released Saturday and will likely miss up to three weeks..
The club placed Belt on 10-day disabled list and returned outfielder Hunter Pence and infielder Alen Hanson from their rehab assignments. The Giants also designated outfielder Gregor Blanco for assignment.
Belt was removed from Friday's 4-0 victory over Philadelphia following the second inning. According to manager Bruce Bochy, Belt had not been feeling well before the game but felt he was OK to make the start at first base. But after Belt struck out in his first at-bat, his condition worsened, and Dave Groeschner, the Giants' senior director of athletic training, felt Belt needed to be medically evaluated.
"He just started feeling really bad there, so we took him out," Bochy said.
Giants players did not seem to have been made aware of the 30-year-old first baseman's condition during the game.
"I know his stomach was bothering him, but I just found out," second baseman Joe Panik said after the game. "You just hope for the best, because you never want to see somebody go through something like that."
Belt is hitting .307, best among Giants starters, with a team-best 11 homers and 31 RBIs. He was replaced at first base by Pablo Sandoval.
"Hopefully it's something you can bounce back from sooner rather than later," Panik said. "He's been swinging the bat as well as anyone in the National League. You never want to take that bat out of the lineup or that glove out of the field. Hopefully, he can bounce back quick."