Brandon Belt’s right knee just never cooperated with him, and now he’s getting shut down for the year.
Belt, 34, will undergo season-ending arthroscopic knee surgery on Saturday morning, the team announced Friday. It’s the third time he’ll have his right knee operated on.
The 12-year veteran and two-time World Series champion told NBC Sports Bay Area that while he hopes to continue playing, the rest of his career will depend on how his knee responds.
“I’m going to play next year if I can get my knee healthy and strong again,” Belt told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Last time I had this surgery (in 2015) I responded really well to it. That’s what I’m anticipating … If I can get it strong like I did (in 2015) then I’ll play, but if not then I’m not going to go out there and be substandard all the time. We’ll just have to see.”
Belt’s manager, Gabe Kapler, shared his disappointment with reporters from the Giants’ clubhouse. Kapler said the chronic knee issues made this season “especially challenging” for Belt.
“It’s obviously disappointing for Brandon and for all of us,” Kapler said. “We came into this season with arguably Brandon — when he’s been on the field, one of the more productive offensive first basemen and stabilizing force as a defender in baseball. And we were depending on that this season.”
Belt battled through chronic knee issues that surfaced at the beginning of spring training all year. He posted a .213 batting average and .676 OPS — both career lows — as he never got completely healthy. Belt had his knee drained at least three times this year.
Given those struggles, his past surgeries and the team’s current place in the standings, surgery seems like an easy choice.
“We’ve been trending in this direction,” Kapler said of surgery. “Brandon has fought so hard and wanted to be out there for his teammates and for all of us. We just weren’t able to get over the hump.”
Belt never got completely comfortable with his knee this year. He hit the injured list for a month in late May, then labored through June and July. Inflammation and soreness persisted, and he eventually played his last game of the year on Aug. 20 in Coors Field.
At one point, Belt was so uncomfortable in the batter’s box that he tried to bunt in an 0-2 count against Zac Gallen with two outs and two runners in scoring position. He thought it was the best way to reach base and extend the inning; that type of approach would’ve been unthinkable when he was swinging the bat in 2021.
Kapler said the effects of the nagging pain contributed to Belt’s offensive struggles.
“The reason it was challenging is because when you’re in pain every day, it’s not just about the physical issues that you’re having on the field,” Kapler said. “It has a real cascading effect to your mental health. Being banged up all the time makes you feel bummed all the time. Bummed all the time makes it tough to ramp your body up, to train really hard. There’s a real ripple effect with all of that. He just hasn’t had a blow at any point since spring training. It’s been a grind.”
Belt is set to become a free agent at the end of the year. If he decides to continue playing, his track record of success should make him a desirable player — for the Giants or another club.
Asked if he’d like to see Belt back in San Francisco next year, Kapler had a quick answer.
“I love having Brandon around,” Kapler said.
- José Álvarez underwent Tommy John surgery this week, the Giants announced. The lefty reliever pitched in 21 games for the Giants this season after being a reliable leverage option in 2021.
“What a dependable piece he was for us in 2021?” Kapler said. “It’s not going to surprise me to see him back in somebody’s bullpen whenever he’s through Tommy John rehab.”
- Joey Bart (concussion) is feeling much better and on track to return to the Giants when he’s eligible to come off the 7-day injured list.
- Catcher Andrew Knapp is making his Giants debut against his former team, the Phillies. The switch-hitter met with a slew of his former teammates and will get the chance to catch up with them when they’re in the batter’s box all evening.