SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants got more bad news on the injury front Thursday, as right-hander Logan Webb and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski became the latest players to land on the club’s crowded injured list.
Webb was shelved with a right shoulder sprain for the second time this season and he is expected to be shut down for a couple of weeks. Yastrzemski will be sidelined for seven to 14 days with a right thumb sprain, an injury that he sustained while attempting to make a catch up against the right-field wall in the Giants’ 8-1 loss to the Angels on Tuesday. The Giants now have 14 players on the injured list, including seven on the 60-day IL.
In a pair of corresponding roster moves, the Giants recalled right-hander Nick Tropeano and utility player Jason Vosler from Triple-A Sacramento prior to their series opener against the Cubs at Oracle Park.
Webb missed one start with the shoulder issue last month, but he returned off the IL on May 29 and held the Dodgers to two runs (one earned) over five innings in the Giants’ 11-6 win in Los Angeles. Manager Gabe Kapler said that the shoulder soreness resurfaced during Webb’s bullpen session earlier this week, prompting the Giants to tread more carefully with the 24-year-old.
“We’re going to start with him not throwing for a couple of weeks,” Kapler said. “I think that’s the first step in the progression. Last time, we sort of thought we’d try to get him ready as quickly as possible to make his start for us, and we did. He made a really good one for us. He felt good coming out of that. I think at this point, we’re going to be a bit more cautious, and for good reason. Obviously, the fact that he had this right shoulder soreness again makes us take more pause than last time. We’re going to want to treat this one carefully.”
Kapler said the Giants still haven’t decided who will pitch in Webb’s place against the Cubs on Friday, as that will hinge on the state of the club’s bullpen after Thursday’s game. Tropeano and Conner Menez are options to start, along with Scott Kazmir. Kazmir, who filled in during Webb’s first IL stint, was placed on the restricted list to deal with a personal matter back home earlier this week, but Kapler said the 37-year-old veteran is close to rejoining the team.
Aaron Sanchez (right biceps tightness) faced Chadwick Tromp and Vosler in a live batting practice session at Oracle Park on Thursday, but the Giants want to see him off the mound at least one more time before they consider slotting him back into their pitching plans.
Yastrzemski, who emerged as the Giants’ most valuable player in 2020, has already battled a couple of other injuries this year and missed nine games with a left oblique strain last month. Losing Yastrzemski is a blow, but the Giants are well-stocked with left-handed-hitting outfielders, so Steven Duggar, Mike Tauchman and LaMonte Wade Jr. will be asked to step in and help fill the void in the outfield in the interim.
“We kind of have had that 'next-man-up' mentality,” Kapler said. “It’s tough to not have Yaz. He sacrifices his body on so many different occasions. … You’re never going to ask a guy to dial it back and you’re never going to ask him [to play] any less aggressively than he does. At the same time, it’s tough because sometimes that aggressiveness leads to some minor aches and pains. This is a minor one, and we look forward to having him back as soon as possible.”
The Giants got more encouraging news on first baseman Brandon Belt (left oblique strain), who is beginning to ramp up baseball activities and could be ready to come off the IL as soon as this weekend. Evan Longoria was also out of the starting lineup for the second consecutive game with a right intercostal strain, but Kapler said the veteran third baseman could be available off the bench against the Cubs on Thursday.
Minor League news
• Pitching prospect Matt Frisbee was promoted from Double-A Richmond to Triple-A after logging a 1.24 ERA over five starts with the Flying Squirrels. In his last start at Richmond on Sunday, the 24-year-old Frisbee struck out eight and allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings.
• Shun Yamaguchi, who joined the Giants on a Minor League deal after he was released by the Blue Jays earlier this year, was released by Sacramento and is heading back to his native Japan. Yamaguchi, 33, posted a 6.17 ERA over five appearances with the River Cats this year.
• Right-hander Kai-Wei Teng, who is ranked as the Giants’ No. 18 prospect per MLB Pipeline, received a 10-game suspension after a foreign substance was found in his glove in his most recent start for High-A Eugene last week. Teng, 22, has a 5.03 ERA through five starts with the Emeralds this season.