SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants got bad news regarding breakout infielder Casey Schmitt, who landed on the 10-day injured list with a left knee meniscus tear on Tuesday. Infielder Osleivis Basabe was selected from Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move.
Schmitt sustained the injury while running the bases in the bottom of the second inning of the Giants’ 3-0 win over the Brewers on Monday night.
Schmitt led off the inning with a bloop single to right field, but he tweaked his knee after slamming on the brakes as he rounded first base. Head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner and manager Tony Vitello quickly emerged from the dugout to evaluate Schmitt, who ended up limping off the field and needed help descending the stairs into the home dugout.
Schmitt underwent an MRI exam on Tuesday that revealed the meniscus tear, which will likely put the rest of his 2026 campaign in jeopardy.
“We’re still in the early stages of knowing exactly what could happen,” Vitello said Tuesday. “But obviously, he's going to miss a good chunk of time. Obviously, it's upsetting, too. It's hard not to feel for Casey just because of the type of person he is and also the type of season he has going on.”
Losing Schmitt is a huge blow for the Giants, as the super-utility man has emerged as one of the club’s top hitters this year. He was batting .271 with a .784 OPS and ranked second on the team with a career-high 21 home runs over 98 games in 2026.
“I think coming in as a prospect, there were expectations,” Vitello said. “When you're a young guy, you’ve got to kind of earn your stripes around here, and you're probably going to take your lumps on the field, too. But I think the days of his career leading up to this year made him tougher, made him stronger, added a little bit of experience, and made him a really outstanding player.”
Schmitt had been filling in at third base for Matt Chapman, who is currently on the 10-day injured list with an abdominal strain. Chapman is nearing a return, but he isn’t expected to be activated until the Giants’ upcoming series at San Diego this weekend.
With Schmitt sidelined, the Giants will likely lean on Christian Koss to fill in at the hot corner for the next couple of days. Koss entered the game to pinch-run for Schmitt on Monday and got his first start of the season at third base on Tuesday.
Basabe was batting .268 with a .732 OPS and five home runs over 75 games at Triple-A Sacramento this year. The 25-year-old split his time between shortstop, second base and third base for the River Cats, so he should be available to serve as a backup infielder for now. Tuesday marked his first big league callup since 2023, when he appeared in 31 games for the Rays.