SF Giants catcher Joey Bart hopes to avoid injured list after MRI
The SF Giants received some positive injury news on Tuesday. Catcher Joey Bart told reporters during pregame media availability that he received good news from an MRI and hopes he can return to the field without needing a stint on the injured list. Bart left Monday night's 4-0 victory over the Cardinals with groin tightness, although KNBR's Danny Emerman listed Bart's hamstring as the source of his discomfort.
"It's something that's been lingering the last couple of days," Bart told reporters after the game on Monday. "It hasn't been that bad. I don't feel it when I'm catching. It's just sometimes when I'm running at full speed, something in there isn't right, but hopefully, it'll recover fast."
Bart has already been sidelined once this season, hitting the injured list with a mild back strain before making his regular-season debut. Since returning, though, the 2018 second-overall pick has been having one of the most productive stretches of his MLB career. He is hitting .303/.378/.364 with a pair of doubles, a walk, and 10 strikeouts in 37 plate appearances.
The Giants have publicly said that the team needed more from Bart this season. A Buford, Georgia native, Bart has been trying to establish himself as the Giants everyday catcher but has struggled with injuries and consistency at the plate. In 144 career games from 2020-2023, Bart has a .228/.301/.352 line with 11 home runs.
In case Bart was headed to the injured list, the Giants have added catching prospect Ricardo Genovés to the taxi squad from Triple-A. Giants Baseball Insider had first reported that the Giants would not be calling upon recently-signed veteran catcher Gary Sánchez. NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic first reported that Genovés was on the taxi squad.
Genovés has appeared in 15 games at Triple-A Sacramento this season, hitting .300/.408/.400 with a double, home run, seven walks, and 12 strikeouts in 49 plate appearances. He has also thrown out an impressive 50% of opposing base stealers without recording a passed ball.
Nevertheless, the SF Giants hope Joey Bart can return to the lineup in a few days and keep Ricardo Genovés from having to be added to the big-league roster. Genovés is not on the 40-man roster so another player would need to be traded, designated for assignment, or placed on the 60-day injured list.
