The biggest thing that has kept the Giants from repeating in between their even year championships is injuries. The Giants are right back in the thick of it again, adding two players to the DL. Sergio Romo has been placed on the 15-day DL, retroactive to April 11 for a flexor strain in his throwing elbow. The issues regarding his right elbow seem to be more concerning than their other injury. Ehire Adrianza, who had a solid spring, and a nice start to his season, was also placed on the 15-day DL for a broken bone in his foot.
Luckily, Adrianza isn’t necessarily a major key to success, and depth in the farm and in the middle infield will be easier to replace than Romo, especially if it is worse than just a flexor strain. Romo left the team on Thursday to go back to San Francisco and have his elbow evaluated. Hopefully it doesn’t lead to Giants fans greatest fear, Tommy John surgery. Romo’s impact on this team, not just on the mound but in the clubhouse, would be a great loss for this team. Romo only allowed three home runs in his 57.1 innings last season, while striking out seventy-one. A 7:1 strikeout to walk ratio is pretty hard to replace, especially in the bullpen.
The Giants called up Derek Law, who is yet to take the mound in the Major Leagues. In five seasons in the Giants organization, Law has accumulated a 2.63 ERA and a strikeout to walk ratio greater than 6:1. It will be interesting to see if Law will make his case to be part of the bullpen in the future.
Adrianza, on the other hand, won’t be entirely missed. Honestly, two backup middle infielders was a little too much for the Giants. With only four outfielders at the moment, Mac Williamson was probably their best call-up option. Williamson has been regarded as their best power hitting prospect for a few years now, after he broke onto the scene with twenty-five home runs in the pitcher friendly California League (High A level). While Williamson had a pretty dismal ten games at the major league level last fall, he had an incredible spring and has started off with two home runs in his first seven games at the AAA level.
It is the hope of the Giants organization and fan base that the injury bug doesn’t run rampant as it did last year. The rash of injuries last season truly derailed any chance at snagging one of the wild card spots. It is early this season, but if the injuries pile up like they have the last few years, questions must start being asked of the training staff.
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