SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco Giants third baseman Casey Schmitt left Monday night’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the bottom of the second inning due to a left knee injury.
Schmitt appeared to hurt his left leg after rounding first base following a single to right field. He showed discomfort and was grasping at his lower left leg after the play.
Schmitt was able to walk off the field on his own power, limping with a trainer at his side
as he left the game. Schmitt was replaced by backup Christian Koss and the Giants went on to beat the Brewers 3-0.
“Scary moment there for him,” manager Tony Vitello said after the game. “He’s a unique personality, but he’s definitely got a level of toughness to him. And you go out there and he was really struggling just to kind of even move around there with (head trainer Dave Groeschner) checking on him.”
Schmitt will undergo an MRI and it is not yet known whether he'll be added to the injury list. Regardless, Vitello doesn’t expect Schmitt to be back right away.
“At this point, (he is) probably going to miss some significant time,” Vitello said. “But based off what we see tomorrow, be interesting what (Groeschner) has, hoping it’s as limited an amount of time as possible.”
Schmitt adds to San Francisco’s growing injury list as the team was already without third baseman Matt Chapman (abdominal strain) and outfielders Jung Hoo Lee (right elbow soreness), and Victor Bericoto (left oblique strain).
Vitello commented that with Schmitt’s injury, rather than rush starter Chapman back, they’ll look to another player to fill in at third base.
Schmitt is hitting .271 with 21 home runs and 55 RBIs, all career bests. Schmitt signed a one-year, $810,000 contract this past year.
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