SF Giants OF Mike Yastrzemski leaves game with left hamstring tightness

The SF Giants removed outfielder Mike Yastrzemski from Sunday afternoon's game against the Boston Red Sox with left hamstring tightness.

Marc Delucchi | Jul 30, 2023

SF Giants OF Mike Yastrzemski leaves game with left hamstring tightness /

In this story:

San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants removed outfielder Mike Yastrzemski from Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox with an injury. Yastrzemski pinch-hit for right-handed hitting Austin Slater in the bottom of the third inning, doubled, and entered defensively in right field. However, Joc Pederson took his place in the lineup, taking over in left field, in the top of the fifth inning. Per the team, Yastrzemski was removed with left hamstring tightness.

Yastrzemski has dealt with hamstring issues throughout the season and has already had two stints on the injured list with left hamstring strains. Given that history, the team's medical staff is likely even more cautious when any issues arise. If he will need another prolonged absence, the Giants would presumably call upon Bryce Johnson or Luis González to fill his spot on the roster. Johnson has been incredibly productive this season at Triple-A, but González is currently on a minor-league rehab assignment and is out of minor-league options.

Yastrzemski has had one of the most up-and-down seasons on the Giants this season. Yastrzemski has dealt with multiple brutal offensive slumps but has also been the best hitter on the Giants for prolonged stretches as well. On the season, Yastrzemski is hitting .233/.314/.439 with 17 doubles and 11 home runs in 285 plate appearances.

Of course, the MLB trade deadline is also right on the horizon. But the Chicago Cubs have reportedly taken outfielder Cody Bellinger off the trade market, removing the most obvious potential target to fill Yastrzemski's shoes. Given the number of outfielders in the organization, prospects Brett Wisely and Heliot Ramos are also at Triple-A and already on the 40-man roster, it seems most likely that the SF Giants would address any Mike Yastrzemski injury internally.

Published Jul 30, 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).