Injuries & Moves: Estrada to IL; Winn to undergo season-ending surgery
LATEST NEWS
July 26: INF Thairo Estrada (left wrist sprain) placed on 10-day injured list; INF Casey Schmitt recalled from Triple-A Sacramento
Estrada missed nine games with the same injury before returning on July 9, but he struggled to find his form at the plate, going only 3-for-34 (.088) with seven strikeouts over his last 10 games. The Giants replaced Estrada on the roster by promoting Schmitt, who was batting .282 with an .832 OPS and 13 home runs over 67 games with Triple-A Sacramento this year.
July 25: INF Wilmer Flores (right knee tendonitis) placed on 10-day IL; INF David Villar recalled from Triple-A Sacramento
Flores had returned from the same injury on July 9. His IL placement was retroactive to Wednesday.
Villar got the start at first base in Thursday afternoon's game against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers, and manager Bob Melvin indicated he will continue there in similar lineup scenarios.
“He’s a good hitter,” Melvin said. “He fits into this group. This will be a better opportunity for him here. He’ll play the Wilmer role as far as facing lefties.”
The 27-year-old Villar went into Thursday's game with 17 Major League at-bats in 2024, slashing .294/.278/.588 with one home run and four RBIs.
10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
INF Thairo Estrada (left wrist sprain)
Expected return: August
Estrada missed nine games with the same wrist issue earlier this season, but he struggled to overcome the injury after returning from his first stint on the 10-day IL on July 9. He went only 3-for-34 (.088) with seven strikeouts over his last 10 games, prompting the Giants to place him back on the IL on July 26. (Last updated: July 26)
INF Wilmer Flores (right knee tendonitis)
Expected return: August
Flores was placed on the injured list on July 25 (retroactive to July 24). He last appeared as a pinch-hitter on July 23 against the Dodgers. He had returned from the same injury on July 9.
“Never really cleared up,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “When you’re not playing as much and not swinging how you’re used to, you’re putting in a lot of extra work, and it’s not allowing it to really heal.”
Flores will be eligible to be activated in early August. But with a platelet-rich plasma injection upcoming, Melvin said it might be a bit longer before he’s ready. He is expected to be re-evaluated by team doctors the weekend of July 26-28. (Last updated: July 26)
LHP Carson Whisenhunt (sore foot, No. 1 on Giants top prospects list, No. 57 overall)
Expected return: August
Whisenhunt was placed on the seven-day Minor League injured list on July 24 with a sore foot. The 23-year-old has struggled in his first year with Triple-A Sacramento, posting a 5.84 ERA in 19 starts, although he has 102 strikeouts in 77 innings. Whisenhunt made his last start for the River Cats on July 13 and allowed three runs over four frames with seven punchouts. (Last updated: July 24)
60-DAY IL
RHP Keaton Winn (right elbow surgery)
Expected return: 2025
The Giants announced that Winn will undergo season-ending right elbow surgery in Los Angeles on July 29. Dr. Steven Shin will perform an ulnar nerve transposition, which takes pressure off the nerve by moving it from the back of the elbow to the front. Winn last pitched for the Giants on June 20, when he gave up five runs over 2 2/3 innings against the Cardinals at Rickwood Field. The 26-year-old rookie ended up logging a 7.16 ERA over 12 starts in an injury-marred campaign for San Francisco.
"It's been frustrating for him," manager Bob Melvin said. "He's never really felt great in this whole process. We shut him down for a little bit, got him back throwing again. Obviously, it's come to the point where he needs to have that done." (Last updated: July 26)
RHP Alex Cobb (left hip surgery)
Expected return: Late July
Cobb progressed well in rehab from offseason hip surgery but hit another setback when he felt mild shoulder irritation before throwing a bullpen session on April 16. Cobb, who was transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 20, attempted to resume throwing after that, but he was shut down again after continuing to experience soreness in his shoulder.
Cobb resumed a throwing progression after receiving some nerve medication. He made his first rehab start for Triple-A Sacramento on July 20, striking out four over five scoreless innings while throwing 60 pitches. Cobb will make another rehab start for Single-A San Jose on July 26, putting him in line to make his season debut against the A's on July 31. (Last updated: July 26)
LHP Ethan Small (moderate right oblique strain)
Expected return: August
In his third rehab outing in the Arizona Complex League on July 23, Small threw a perfect inning with two strikeouts. He will make his next appearance with Single-A San Jose on July 27. Small was acquired from the Brewers over the offseason and was in the running for a bullpen spot before sustaining the oblique injury. (Last updated: July 26)
RHP Tristan Beck (upper right arm aneurysm)
Expected return: Second half
Beck, 27, felt his hand go cold after throwing some bullpen sessions early in camp, prompting the Giants to send him back to San Francisco to be evaluated by team doctors on Feb. 27. He ended up visiting a vascular specialist at Stanford, who helped determine that an aneurysm -- an abnormal bulge or ballooning in the wall of a blood vessel -- was the source of the numbness. Beck was transferred to the 60-day injured list on March 3 and underwent surgery at Stanford the next day to address the issue.
Beck was cleared to resume full baseball activity after a follow-up appointment with Dr. Jason Lee on May 1. He threw a bullpen session at Oracle Park on July 26 and will progress to throwing live batting practice in early August. (Last updated: July 26)
C Tom Murphy (left knee sprain)
Expected return: Second half
Murphy felt a pop in his knee after going down to try to block a wild pitch in the second inning of the Giants' 14-3 loss to the Phillies on May 4 and was placed on the 10-day injured list the next day. An MRI exam revealed a Grade 1-2 sprain. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on May 15 to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for fellow backstop Curt Casali. Murphy visited Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on July 25 after experiencing inflammation behind his knee and in his hamstring, which will limit his baseball activity for the time being.
Signed to a two-year, $8.25 million deal in December, Murphy hit .118 with one home run over his first 13 games with the Giants. (Last updated: July 26)
CF Jung Hoo Lee (left shoulder dislocation)
Expected return: 2025
Lee suffered a season-ending torn labrum in his left shoulder crashing into the center-field fence on May 12 and had surgery on June 4. The club considered the procedure a success and said the typical timeline for recovery is six months. (Last updated: June 4)