SF Giants outfielder Austin Slater undergoes arthroscopic elbow surgery

The SF Giants announced that outfielder Austin Slater underwent right elbow surgery on Wednesday to try and alleviate ongoing issues.

Marc Delucchi | Oct 11, 2023

SF Giants outfielder Austin Slater undergoes arthroscopic elbow surgery /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants announced on Wednesday that outfielder Austin Slater underwent right elbow surgery with Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Meister had two separate aims with the procedure, first removing a bone spur in the back of his elbow. He also completed an ulnar nerve transposition to try and alleviate nerve discomfort that bothered Slater throughout the season. According to the team, Slater's rehab is expected to take four months and have him back at 100% in time for the start of spring training.

SF Giants outfielder Austin Slater points to the sky after hitting a home run against the Diamondbacks. (2022) — SF Giants OF Austin Slater points to the sky after hitting a home run. (2022) / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

Slater was hampered by elbow injuries throughout the 2023 season and was never playing at 100%. Slater only appeared in 89 games, hitting .270/.348/.400 in 207 plate appearances with nine doubles and five home runs. Slater was a much more limited version of himself defensively throughout the season as well, receiving a limited workload in the grass. Still, despite the limitations, he remained particularly effective against left-handed pitching (.288/.361/.439 triple-slash).

Slater was signed by one of the Giants' longest-tenured scouts when he was drafted by the team in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Stanford. He was immediately productive as a professional and reached Double-A before the end of his first full minor-league season. By 2017, Slater had made his big-league debut and was vying for consistent playing time.

While Slater's struggles against same-sided pitching and injuries have prevented him from ever becoming an everyday player, he has also solidified himself as a valuable contributor. Despite never accruing more than 325 plate appearances in a season, Slater has a .258/.346/.402 career triple-slash with 38 home runs and 45 stolen bases in 1,486 plate appearances and has generally been an above-average defensive player at all three outfield spots.

The SF Giants will have an interesting decision to make regarding Austin Slater soon. He is under team control for one more season via arbitration but will likely receive a salary in the $3.5-$4 million range. That salary is a reasonable number for a role player like Slater, which would make a non-tender surprising unless the team has concerns about his health. However, as president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi looks to upgrade the roster, Slater could become a trade candidate to open up a spot for a more well-rounded player.

Published Oct 11, 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).