The 88 mph changeup that hit Mitch Haniger in the third inning of Tuesday’s Giants-Cardinals game fractured his right forearm.
Haniger instantly left the game. Infielder J.D. Davis sprained his right ankle sliding into third base one pitch earlier, but Haniger’s injury is much more severe.
Haniger instantly headed to the training room in St. Louis after getting injured. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons describes the recovery time of a fractured right forearm as three to six months, putting the outfielder’s season in jeopardy.
The Giants signed Haniger to a three-year, $43.5 million contract this winter. An oblique injury in spring training delayed his first season as a Giant, and he hasn’t been able to produce at his previous highs when healthy. In 39 games, Haniger has hit .231 with four home runs and a .653 OPS.
Haniger hit 39 home runs in 2021 and was an All-Star two years prior with the Mariners. But his seven-year career has been plagued by a string of flukey injuries.
A ruptured testicle ended his 2019 season. Back surgery to address a herniated disc, possibly complicated by his prior groin injury, knocked him out for the entire 2020 shortened season. He was fully healthy in 2021, when he broke out, but played just 57 games last year due to an ankle injury.
Add forearm fracture to his medical history.
Since reinstating Joc Pederson and Thairo Estrada from the injured list on June 6, the Giants have been fully equipped on the position player side. They lasted less than one entire week as such.
When Haniger and Davis departed, the Sacramento River Cats pulled both Luis Matos and David Villar from their ongoing game. With the Giants playing a day game on Wednesday, that pair will likely head to the Giants as soon as possible.
Matos, 21, has been crushing Triple-A pitching since he got promoted. He’s the youngest batter at the level, and has hit six home runs in the past six games — including one in the first inning Tuesday.
There aren’t silver linings to losing two veteran, key players, but Matos getting a chance, potentially on an indefinite basis, could be end up being a landmark moment for a franchise turning over to a younger generation.