Veteran third baseman Evan Longoria will undergo surgery on Tuesday, March 29, on his right index finger, the Giants announced.
The procedure is to repair a ligament in Longoria’s finger. Soreness has prevented him from playing in any spring training games. Longoria’s prognosis for return to baseball activities will be determined after his surgery, but the Giants expect his finger to be immobilized for at least 10 days following the operation.
The Giants open their season at home on April 8 — 10 days from Tuesday — so it’s likely Longoria misses the start of the year. If SF places him on the injured list, the team could bring up an extra infielder on the 40-man roster to replace him.
Longoria, 36, told the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this week that he has been experiencing soreness in his right index finger stemming from getting hit by a pitch late last season. He said he expected to be ready for Opening Day, but the surgery makes rules that out.
Dr. Steven Shin, an orthopedics and hand surgery specialist, will perform the surgery in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Longoria hit .261 with a .833 OPS last year for the Giants. He particularly excelled against left-handed pitchers, against whom he posted an elite 1.088 OPS.
But a freak shoulder injury sidelined the third baseman for most of June and all of July. When he returned in mid-August, Longoria hit just .228 the rest of the way.
Wilmer Flores can seamlessly replace Longoria at the hot corner. If Longoria’s finger injury forces him to miss significant time to start the year, the Giants could use one of the two extra roster spots to carry an additional infielder — possibly Jason Vosler or Mauricio Dubon.