Ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against the Chicago White Sox, the San Francisco Giants placed catcher Patrick Bailey on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain. In a corresponding move, the Giants will recall backstop Jakson Reetz from Triple-A Sacramento.
#SFGiants roster moves:
– C Jakson Reetz recalled from Triple-A Sacramento.
– C Patrick Bailey placed on the 10-day Injured List (retroactive to 8/19) with a right oblique strain.— SFGiants (@SFGiants) August 21, 2024
SF Giants Place Patrick Bailey on Injured List
Bailey hurt his oblique on Monday during pregame work in the batting cage. The 25-year-old tried to fix his swing after recording only three hits in August. Bailey did not play on Monday after reporting tightness in his side following his cage work.
Patrick Bailey has been one of the worst baseball players on offense over the last month+ What the hell has happened to him?? It can’t be fatigue pic.twitter.com/YF2OB5AM5V
— THEGODFRESCO 🏁 (@GSDOUBLEU) August 20, 2024
Manager Bob Melvin told reporters that the team hoped Bailey would return on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the Giants had no choice but to place Bailey on the injured list after a Tuesday MRI revealed the extent of the injury.
Despite his current struggles, Bailey hit well in the first half and showed some real promise. In his first 69 games, he hit .283/.354/.430 with seven homers and 11 doubles. However, the switch hitter has produced a .115/.157/.135 slash over his next 27 games.
Bailey’s Defense Will Be Missed
Losing Bailey’s defense behind the plate represents the most crushing aspect of his injury for San Francisco. Bailey leads MLB by throwing out 17 base-stealers at second base this year. His caught-stealing percentage ranks second in the National League by one percentage point.
Patrick Bailey has been one of the top throwing catchers in baseball and a blast to watch.
What makes him successful:
▪️pre catch weight shift into left leg
▪️gets right foot down quickly
▪️quick transfer
▪️elite thrower from multiple arm slots/stays athletic in his throw pic.twitter.com/zEtYUYJaVe— Austin Spainhour (@AustinSpainhour) August 17, 2024
In Statcast’s Catcher Stealing Runs statistic, Bailey ranks first in the league with 5 and ranks in the 100th percentile in Catcher’s CS Above Average. These statistics and rankings simply mean Bailey is the best catcher in the sport at controlling the run game. This skill is incredibly valuable after rule changes made it easier than ever to steal a base starting in 2023.
Bailey excels defensively beyond just controlling the running game. The former first-round pick leads all catchers in Defensive Runs Saved this season and since his debut last year. Additionally, Statcast grades him as one of the best pitch-framers in the league.
Here’s 76 seconds of Patrick Bailey stealing strikes (according to baseballsavant) for our two aces in just the past few weeks because too many people are forgetting how valuable he is #sfgiants pic.twitter.com/3epPoTHALE
— matthew (@matthewk36711) August 19, 2024
The Giants are only in postseason contention thanks to a stellar pitching staff. Their young catcher is no doubt a big part of that unit. With Bailey on the injured list, the Giants will turn to Curt Casali. The 35-year-old is a serviceable backup, but should not be starting at this point in his career. There is a reason why the team was able to sign him after Opening Day this year.
No matter which way you look at it, losing Bailey is a big blow to San Francisco’s slim postseason chances.
Photo Credit: © Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports
