Hours before the Giants’ series opener against the Rockies in Oracle Park, Brandon Belt took grounders at first base.
The first baseman who’s been on the 10-day injured list for the last 17 days with right knee inflammation is still not yet ready to return for the Giants. He told reporters that his knee feels “normal” and was already throwing and hitting before adding running and grounders to his repertoire.
“I’m not surprised,” Belt told reporters from the Giants’ clubhouse Tuesday. “I though it wouldn’t be quite this long, but just you never know with this stuff…it’s one of those that you can’t rush. You can’t set yourself back.”
The injury has taken longer than anticipated to recover. He got the fluid drained out multiple times in late May, but said the swelling has subsided.
In 26 games for the Giants this year, Belt is hitting .228 with four home runs — all of which came in April. The last game he played was May 18 in Colorado, making Tuesday his 17th straight missed game.
San Francisco was hoping Belt would be ready to contribute during the past 10-game road trip, but he still needs to build up confidence in the injured knee. The veteran needs to get the muscles firing, he said.
Running for the next two days to make sure his strength is built back up may be the final box to check.
“I think it’s about as significant as we thought it was,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “These things are not perfectly predictable. Swelling is not perfectly predictable. The strengthening of the quad doesn’t happen as fast as you want it to happen sometimes. Need to make sure the rest of his body is protected and healthy as well. All of those things are factoring in to kind of push his timeline back a little bit. There hasn’t been any sort of acute setback or anything like that.”
Belt said he doesn’t think he’ll need to make a rehab assignment, so that leg of his return process will be expedited. But when that comes is still at least a couple days away.
“It’s definitely gotten better,” Belt said. “I don’t know where the endpoint is, though.”
- Outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr., who’s also dealing with a knee injury, provided the Giants with more positive news. Wade is getting the last synthetic lubricant injection into his knee on Tuesday, he said, and is on the “horizon” of a return. He identified Thursday as a possible rehab assignment start.
- Darin Ruf returned from the bereavement list on Tuesday after the unexpected passing of his father. Kapler said the slugger may not be at his best right away, and that’s understandable. Ruf could be an option to come off the bench on Tuesday against Colorado.
- Jason Vosler was optioned to Sacramento in favor of Sam Long, who could provide bulk-innings in lieu of Alex Cobb (neck strain). Vosler hit .313 with two home runs on the team’s most recent road trip.