Brandon Belt will be eligible to return from the injured list on Aug. 31, but that possibility seems acute.
Belt, 34, will seek a second opinion on his right knee on Tuesday. The first MRI, manager Gabe Kapler said, revealed no additional structural damage — just the chronic issues that have surfaced on-and-off all season.
“Right now, his knee’s a little bit more swollen and a little bit more sore than it has been,” Kapler said Monday.
Kapler added that Belt is planning on doing some “weight-bearing” activities in the training room on Monday, which could be a good test. Still, a return to the diamond appears anything but imminent.
The first baseman has had multiple surgeries on the knee and has had it drained at least three times this year. He missed nearly a month in the first half of the year with inflammation and has played in 78 of San Francisco’s 126 games.
“I think it’s really bugging him,” Kapler said. “I don’t know if you can compare it to any particular time and say it’s more or less sore than that time. But he’s been challenged with it on a number of different occasions this year. Now he just needs to get back to work, try to find a way to get back on the field and help us win.”
Belt was clearly laboring, even more than usual, in the games leading up to his IL designation. He’d gone 0-for-15 in his previous four games and 2-for-38 in his past 11. At one point, he lost so much confidence in his swing that he tried to bunt with two strikes with two men in scoring position, ultimately fouling out to end the inning.
When he hit the injured list last Wednesday, Belt told The San Francisco Chronicle that he may have to consider the knee issues when thinking about the rest of his career; the veteran is a free agent at the end of 2022.
After tremendous seasons in 2020 and 2021, Belt has posted career-lows in batting average and OPS.
Down years from Belt and Brandon Crawford have been a clear-cut difference between the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The Brandons’ struggles are one of many factors as to why the Giants are currently a season-high 7.5 games out of the third wild card spot.
Kapler used the poker “chip and a chair” analogy to describe the Giants’ current state. As long as they’re still sitting at the table with a hand to play, anything can happen.
But a miracle playoff run could take a combination of luck and toughness. And Belt.
“Now the challenge for Brandon is — again, not great conditions — his knee is sore and it’s swollen, so this is sort of the toughness I was talking about,” Kapler said. “You have to find ways to contribute. You have to find ways to bring your best energy to the ballpark. You have to be dependable and you have to be consistent. That’s toughness.”