PHOENIX – Already down one full-time member of their infield, the Giants saw third baseman Matt Chapman depart Tuesday’s 8-2 loss to the D-backs early due to a lower abdominal strain.
The five-time Gold Glover charged a ball hard during the bottom of the sixth, fielding and throwing in time to get catcher Gabriel Moreno to end the frame. But he visibly grimaced as he ran off the field and was immediately attended to in the dugout.
Chapman took his next plate appearance in the seventh and popped out to first base, clearly laboring as he ran down the line.
San Francisco is essentially playing a man down with shortstop Willy Adames still battling lower back spasms for which he received an MRI on Monday. The team did not discover any structural damage, and Adames was deemed available in an emergency situation on Tuesday, but manager Tony Vitello chose to shift Luis Arraez over to third in Chapman’s absence.
It marked the first time that Arraez – who has made 65 career starts in the big leagues at the position – made an appearance at the hot corner since 2022.