Sandoval lands on 15-day DL with strained left foot
Bochy says third baseman will try to shed some weight while he's out
PITTSBURGH -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy expressed optimism Tuesday that Pablo Sandoval's injured left foot will heal by the time the third baseman's minimum stint on the disabled list ends, or shortly afterward.
"We're thinking that in 15 days, this thing will subside and calm down and he'll be good to go," Bochy said.
Sandoval officially went on the DL with a strained peroneal tendon in his foot. He was replaced on the active roster by infielder Nick Noonan, who just last Saturday was optioned to Triple-A Fresno. Bochy said that Joaquin Arias will receive the bulk of playing time at third base in Sandoval's absence, with Noonan and Tony Abreu filling in periodically.
Head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner said that Sandoval will wear a walking boot for a week before being reevaluated to determine the course of his remaining rehabilitation.
Word had spread that Sandoval would be placed on the DL with a hairline fracture in his foot. Groeschner confirmed that Sandoval indeed had that sort of break, but tests proved it was an injury that the reigning World Series Most Valuable Player had sustained years ago.
Sandoval's rehab will be a purposeful one, since it's generally believed that his weight is approaching a dangerous level.
"That will be a priority for Pablo, to shed a few pounds," Bochy said.
Bochy acknowledged the fans' widespread concern about Sandoval's weight and the assumption that his being heavy precipitated his injury, which he initially sustained May 30.
"Sure, that's going to be a question a lot of people are going to ask. And that's a hard one to answer," Bochy said. "Whether it has played a part in this injury -- when you're a little heavy and something like this happens, I think it's normal to say, 'Well, was this the reason?' I don't think anybody can answer that. Did [Angel] Pagan injure his knee because he's in too good of shape and he doesn't have enough weight? You don't know these things. But it's fair to say that with an injury to the foot, it can become an issue."
Said Groeschner, "He knows he has to lose weight. He's going to work on that while he's injured. I don't think that will have any impact on how this heals."