Blake SnellA nightmare of a season looks set to land him back on the injured list, as the Giants left-hander had to leave today’s start against the Yankees due to left groin tightness. Snell threw 4 2/3 innings and one at-bat against the first two pitches. Alex Verdugo Before he left after the arrival of the team coach. talking with NBC Sports Bay Area and other media postgame, Giants manager Bob Melvin indicated that Snell will almost certainly be placed back on the 15-day IL, and a complete timeline may be known when Snell undergoes an MRI tomorrow.
A similar injury led to Snell’s initial IL assignment on April 23 as he missed almost exactly a month of action due to a left adductor strain. Today was Snell’s third start back in action, and he again didn’t have much success, finishing with three earned runs in his 4 2/3 frames.
Since signing a two-year, $62MM free agent deal with San Francisco on March 19, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner now has a 9.51 ERA over 23 2/3 innings. Snell didn’t sign until a week before kickoff. Day, his offseason work consisted of extended spring training and simulated games, and the rust has been more evident since his debut with the Giants on April 8. It goes without saying that these double hip/adductor injuries can also occur. Snell didn’t quite hit his stride early in the season, though he’s been fine in his rehab trips as he recovers from a previous injury.
Assuming the MRI doesn’t reveal anything more serious, it looks like Snell will be sidelined for at least another month, as he and the Giants certainly want to make sure the injury is fully dealt with before Snell starts again. Throwing sessions and minor league rehab begins. Given the calendar, it looks like Snell could be out after the All-Star break if the Giants want to give him more time if he’s not ready by early July.
Missing more time has far-reaching implications for Snell’s future in San Francisco, as his contract has an opt-out clause. The two-year deal was designed to allow Snell to quickly re-enter the market after another strong season, this time bypassing him last winter to land a more lucrative long-term deal. Still, even if he returns to his past form in July and plays like an ace in other ways, a lackluster first three months may have already done enough to reinforce doubts teams have about Snell’s ability to stay healthy. Staying with the Giants through 2025 and banking another $30MM isn’t an ugly outcome for Snell, but given that he’ll be 33 on Opening Day in 2026, time is running out for Snell to truly maximize his earning potential.
Only five National League teams have winning records, so the 29-31 Giants have earned the third wild-card slot despite all their struggles. Circulation is an obvious concern Logan Web, Jordan HicksAnd Kyle Harrison San Francisco’s only reliable starters — Snell, Keaton WinAnd Mason Black We’ve had most of the other startups, none of which have fared well. Although he was set for a minor league rehab game on Tuesday, Winn was held out with a forearm strain.
With the Giants having both Thursday and June 13 off, they can keep Wynn on the planned rehab schedule because the team won’t need a fifth starter for three weeks. Black could also be recalled from Triple-A, and the Giants are at least six weeks away Robbie Ray Or Alex Cope As potential candidates for return from 60-day IL. Ray will play in an Arizona Complex League game this week as Cobb resumes throwing after shoulder discomfort suffered in mid-May on his way back from Tommy John surgery.
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