Buster Posey was scratched from the Giants lineup on Thursday with neck stiffness for the second spring training game in a row, just four days before the catcher is due to leave the club for the World Baseball Classic in Florida.
Lets get one thing out of the way: According to Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group, Giants’ trainers do not believe Posey’s issue is serious. That’s good news. Posey did, however, plan on DHing for the Giants Thursday after saying he felt better Wednesday evening, when he was out of San Francisco’s lineup against the Dodgers. That did not happen, meaning Posey’s injury is lingering for longer than expected.
While Posey’s participation in the WBC is not officially in doubt just yet, another setback could force he and the Giants into a tough decision, as the catcher has gotten just four plate appearances so far this spring. The Giants were hoping to get Posey close to playing a full game before Monday, when both he and shortstop Brandon Crawford are scheduled to join team USA for the first time in their careers.
Coming off a down season where he played 121 games behind the dish, this may be the only time that Giants fans wouldn’t be bummed were Posey’s injury were to linger a tiny bit longer, as adding games to an already grueling season is more likely to instill fear than excitement for those invested in the club and it’s franchise player.
There is no word yet if Posey expects to play tomorrow, but if he’s scratched again, expect his participation in the WBC to become a serious discussion.
