Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
LOS ANGELES — Kevin Gausman was breathtaking. And then he caused all of Giants world to take a big gulp of air.
They will hope they can exhale after MRI results come back.
The Giants will get scans on their ace after he exited Sunday’s start early with left hip tightness, which he has been dealing with for a few weeks.
Gausman has been working in between starts with the training staff to ensure the hip is good enough to go when it’s his turn, but he felt it when he was running to first base on an RBI single, and then he felt it when he hopped off the mound to pounce upon a Matt Beaty dribbler. That sixth-inning out represented his 72nd and final pitch.
“That last play definitely didn’t feel good on [my hip],” Gausman said after the 5-4 win at Dodger Stadium.
Gabe Kapler did not want to speculate much on the concern level and whether Gausman would require an injured list stint without MRI results first and without the 30-year-old getting back on the mound for a bullpen session. Gausman hasn’t dealt with an injury like this — his have mostly been upper body — and if he feels the hip grab at him, it can affect his high leg kick.
He said he has been “grinding through” his past few starts, though every pitcher in baseball would like to grind like this. He hasn’t given up multiple runs in an outing since April 18, a span of eight starts. He has been among the best pitchers in baseball, and he was again Sunday, when he shut down the Dodgers through six innings, letting up no runs and two hits.
“I haven’t missed a start yet and don’t plan to,” said Gausman, who indeed has perfect attendance in his Giants career. Though the MRI will decide whether he makes his next turn.
“In a perfect world, we just keep running him out there, but we really need to listen to our pitchers, in particular Gausman, who is so tough, wants the ball so much,” Kapler said. “We just have to be respectful when his body’s not responding the way he wants it to.”
