Rookie catcher Joey Bart hasn’t played since the series-opener in San Diego, when he suffered a sprained ankle.
The injury occured during a swing against Josh Hader in the ninth inning on Aug. 8. He told reporters on Saturday in San Francisco that he felt something pop. Though the Giants have kept Bart on ice since the injury, manager Gabe Kapler has said Bart could be available to catch in an emergency situation in the three games he sat.
Neither Bart nor Kapler described the severity of the ankle sprain.
For the first time Saturday, Bart went through a pregame workout. He ran from second base to home at about three-quarters speed. Then he and catchers coach Craig Albernaz played long toss in the outfield. Later, Bart made throws from home to second, crouching behind the plate to simulate a game situation.
“Whenever you’re dealing with injuries, it’s always a little bit fluid,” Kapler said. “But the expectation, the game plan is he’s available off the bench tonight.”
Running five days after the initial injury is a positive sign. Bart hasn’t hit the injured list, another encouraging note. But he said he might have to play through pain for the rest of the season.
Before the injury, Bart had totally found his footing. He posted a .817 OPS in 26 games since returning from his Triple-A reset plan. Five of his nine home runs on the year came in that stretch.
He impressed the Giants so much, they traded away backup Curt Casali, which Farhan Zaidi described as a “vote of confidence” in the former No. 2 overall pick.
The trade puts more of an onus on Austin Wynns, who is hitting .227 for the Giants. San Francisco doesn’t expect him to mash at the plate and has lauded his game-calling skills and toughness.
- Reliever Zack Littell is back with the club in San Francisco on a taxi squad basis. Given Thomas Szapucki’s rough first impression, Littell — who feels ready to pitch — could be activated in the coming days
- Tyler Beede officiated Logan Webb’s wedding. The two friends are starting opposite each other Saturday in Oracle Park.
- Tommy La Stella is starting at first base against the right-hander Beede. Normally that would be Brandon Belt’s spot, but the veteran is dealing with a sore thumb after getting hit by a pitch in San Diego. It doesn’t seem like there’s too much concern about Belt’s finger, but the Giants will be cautious with him (and all their experienced players).
