SF Giants: LaMonte Wade Jr., Luke Jackson left game with back tightness

The SF Giants removed right-handed reliever Luke Jackson from the game on Saturday afternoon against the Diamondbacks after a visit from the trainer.

Marc Delucchi | Jun 24, 2023

SF Giants: LaMonte Wade Jr., Luke Jackson left game with back tightness /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants removed right-handed pitcher Luke Jackson and LaMonte Wade Jr. from Saturday afternoon's 7-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks with back tightness, per manager Gabe Kapler. Jackson was on the mound in the sixth inning when he showed visible discomfort after a pitch. Giants senior director of athletic training Dave Groeschner and manager Gabe Kapler briefly spoke with him on the mound before he was lifted from the game. Wade was lifted from the game in the eighth inning.

SF Giants relief pitcher Luke Jackson pitches the ball against the San Diego Padres. (2023) / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

While no injury is good news, given Jackson's recent recovery from UCL surgery, it seems less likely to be a serious issue than an issue with his throwing arm. Jackson signed a two-year, $11.5 million deal with the Giants this offseason. Jackson has recorded a 2.16 ERA across nine appearances with the Giants this season, recording 10 strikeouts (three walks) across 8.1 innings pitched.

Jackson spent the past six years in Atlanta's organization, emerging as a high-leverage option in the back of the pen. In 2021, Jackson had the best season of his career, posting a 1.98 ERA in 71 appearances with 70 strikeouts and 29 walks in 63.2 innings pitched. However, he was forced to miss all of the 2022 season after undergoing surgery in April.

Jackson has been a consistent middle relief option, although he has been used as a closer and setup arm at times. Over his career, Jackson has posted a 4.24 ERA in 253 games with 284 strikeouts and 118 walks in 272 innings pitched.

The SF Giants bullpen has been a dominant force over the past month. However, veteran relievers John Brebbia and Scott Alexander have already landed on the injured list over the past two weeks. Hopefully, Luke Jackson is able to avoid that same outcome and is able to return to the field soon.

Published Jun 24, 2023

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).