Duffy day to day after spraining right ankle

SAN FRANCISCO -- Third baseman Matt Duffy joined the growing list of wounded Giants as he sprained his right ankle during San Francisco's 4-2 triumph Wednesday night over the Chicago Cubs.

Duffy underwent X-rays, which showed no fracture, and his playing status was rated as day to day. But he became the Giants' third position player to remain on the active roster despite being at less than full strength, joining outfielder Gregor Blanco (left hip) and shortstop Brandon Crawford (left oblique).

Unless the Giants engineer some personnel moves, manager Bruce Bochy must operate with only two able-bodied substitutes: outfielder Justin Maxwell and catcher Andrew Susac, though Blanco would have been available to pinch-hit. On the other hand, the backup catcher is typically held in reserve unless installing him is absolutely necessary. Thus, Maxwell, who struck out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, was the only sub Bochy could use freely.

Duffy hurt himself as he turned his ankle on first base during a first-inning pickoff attempt. He remained in the game and, somewhat remarkably, stole second base and advanced to third on a fly ball before scoring the Giants' second run. The National League Rookie of the Year candidate played the rest of the game without incident.

Bochy said that if Duffy had been forced to leave the game, catcher Buster Posey might have been switched to third base. Posey initially played shortstop at Florida State University before moving to catcher as a sophomore. Asked when he last fielded ground balls in practice, Posey guessed, "The Cape Cod League [for collegians in the summer], probably."

Posey said that he would have manned third base but admitted that if he had to play there, "I wouldn't have felt comfortable."