It takes a lot to get Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford out of a game, but a nasty collision in the fourth inning vs. the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday night had him headed back to the clubhouse with a left knee contusion.
Crawford tagged from third on Luis Gonzalez's fly ball to center and arrived at the plate at the same time as a very strong throw from Michael Harris II. His right leg slid awkwardly across the plate and catcher Travis d'Arnaud's shin guard came down on it and pinned it to the dirt. The collision knocked Crawford back a few feet, a rarity for one of the bigger infielders in the game.
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Crawford was initially ruled out but a replay review overturned the call and gave the Giants the lead. As their coaches took another look at the play, Crawford limped off the field with trainer Anthony Reyes. While it was the right leg that appeared to take the brunt of the initial collision, Crawford was shaking out his left leg as he walked back to the dugout and stopped to check his knee.
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Wilmer Flores took over at second base in the bottom of the inning and Thairo Estrada moved to short. For years, Crawford has been perhaps the most indispensable player on the roster because of the lack of an adequate backup at short, and Tuesday's start was his 62nd appearance in 67 games this season.