© Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Evan Longoria is the latest Giant to take a trip to the disabled list, after fracturing his left hand in yesterday’s 16-inning battle with the Marlins.
Longoria broke his fifth metacarpal after taking a pitch off his hand in the fourth inning. This is the same injury Madison Bumgarner sustained during spring training when he took a line drive off his hand.
While both players injured the same part of their hand, Giants beat writer Henry Schulman highlighted why Longoria’s recovery could be shorter, when he joined Tolbert & Lund Thursday afternoon.
“He isn’t going to know till he sees Dr. Shin in Los Angeles,” Schulman said. “Very fortunate the Giants are flying to Los Angeles themselves. It cost Bum two months and about week. I imagine it could take a little less time if it’s not displaced. That’s what they are going to find out and it sounds like it might not be a displaced fracture. And if that’s the true, he could come back a little sooner.”
Along with the injury being slightly different, Schulman also mentions his rehab likely being easier.
“He has to throw obviously, but he doesn’t have to build his arm strength up to the way a pitcher would, like Bumgarner did,” Schulman said. “So, it still sounds like a two month thing which is not good news, but we will have to wait like everybody else to see what Dr. shin has to says.”
With Longoria now out, that leaves a hole in the Giants defense at third base. Schulman believes that spot will likely be filled by mainly Pablo Sandoval as he is a natural third baseman.
However, if Pablo moves to third, who will then take over first base?
“From what I understand they are considering having Belt activated (Friday) which would be amazing,” Schulman said. “It would be two weeks after his operation. Rather then have him go get some swings in the minors this could be one of those emergency situations where they’ll bring him back to play first base so they don’t have to have Pablo play first.”
Brandon Belt, who had an emergency appendectomy two weeks ago, started his rehab assignment Monday in Arizona.
Listen to the full interview below. To hear Schulman on Longoria, start at 2:30.
