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SF Giants SS Brandon Crawford leaves game with left hamstring tightness

The SF Giants removed veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford from the game against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday with an injury.

Marc Delucchi

SF Giants SS Brandon Crawford leaves game with left hamstring tightness
SF Giants SS Brandon Crawford leaves game with left hamstring tightness /
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The SF Giants suffered another injury scare on Saturday afternoon during the team's game against the Colorado Rockies. After veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford beat out a potential double play at first base, a team trainer and manager Gabe Kapler jogged onto the field to talk to him. Crawford was removed from the game and replaced by pinch-runner J.D. Davis. Kapler told reporters following the game that Crawford was dealing with some left hamstring tightness, but did not expect it to lead to any prolonged absence.

SF Giants infielder Brandon Crawford talks to manager Gabe Kapler and an athletic trainer during a stoppage of play in the sixth inning at Oracle Park on July 8, 2023.
SF Giants SS Brandon Crawford talks to a trainer and coach. (2023) / Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

"He's just got a little left hamstring tightness," Crawford said. "Pretty precautionary getting him out of there, but he would've had to run the bases and that didn't seem all that smart given we're a day away from the All-Star break and he would have to also go out there and play defense for us."

Kapler added that he intends to give Crawford a day off from the starting lineup on Sunday, but was hopeful he could be available off the bench. Even if he is unavailable though, it does not seem like he should have to miss any time on the other side of the break.

With Thairo Estrada already out with a fractured left hand, the Giants' middle infield is already missing one of their everyday players. If Crawford were to miss a prolonged period of time, the pressure would mount on rookies Casey Schmitt and Brett Wisely (Giants Top 22 Prospect), although players like Isan Díaz and possibly Tyler Fitzgerald (Giants Top 13 Prospect) could receive an opportunity as well.

While Crawford's strange cheesesteak commercial fueled a Giants' 10-game winning streak, the franchise legend has struggled on the field this season. Crawford is hitting .215/.293/.349 with 10 doubles and five home runs so far this year, although his Gold Glove-caliber defense has returned after a rough patch at the start of the year.

Crawford is in the final year of a two-year, $32 million contract and could be playing in his final MLB season. The SF Giants legend has spent his entire career in the organization since he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2008 MLB Draft out of UCLA. Brandon Crawford is all over the franchise record books and appeared in the seventh most games with the team in franchise history.

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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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