SAN FRANCISCO -- For the second time in a week, the Giants are hoping for good news from an MRI taken on an offseason addition.
Joc Pederson, the team's best hitter through 19 games, left in the fourth inning of a 1-0 loss to the Athletics with right groin tightness. Pederson got hurt while running into second base on what ended up being an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the third. He didn't come back out to play right field.
"I was trying to get in the way of the throw and took a bad step and just felt a little bit of tightness in my groin," he said. "I kind of just took a weird step at a weird angle and it tightened up."
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Pederson will get an MRI on Thursday and there's a chance he lands on the Injured List before the Giants host the Washington Nationals on Friday. He said he hasn't dealt with a groin injury for a long time, and he couldn't be sure of the severity of the injury until images came back. Pederson said he was hopeful, though, and noted that he was walking around better after getting treatment during the game.
The Giants lost Alex Cobb to a groin strain last week in New York, but Cobb was able to throw a couple of days later and could return to the rotation as soon as this Sunday. Pederson said he hopes this is a similar situation, but even a minimum IL stint would knock him out of the first series with the Los Angeles Dodgers next week. It was going to be a homecoming for Pederson, who has spent most of his career in Dodger blue.
"I don't really want to miss any games but those games are always more fun. I think I've got to look at the bigger picture," Pederson said. "You see our team and it's a playoff-caliber, World Series-caliber team, and the future (goal) is to be ready in the playoffs. The game matters now but you don't want to put yourself at injury that might cause something that puts you not able to play down the road, so I'll just be cautious on that front and proactive at the same time with this great medical staff here to go at a good, healthy pace."
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The Giants will be without Mike Yastrzemski for at least a couple more days. He cannot get cleared to return from the COVID-19 list until he gets two negative PCR tests, which he can start taking on Friday. LaMonte Wade Jr. played his third rehab game on Wednesday but manager Gabe Kapler said in the afternoon that Wade still needed to get some reps at first base, play a full game, and then play back-to-back games. It's possible the Giants will reconsider if Pederson needs to hit the IL, but Kapler reiterated after the loss that he would be cautious with Wade, who has missed the entire season with knee inflammation.
"We want to be always taking the long view with these things," Kapler said. "Obviously if Joc needs a few days it would be nice to have LaMonte back sooner rather than later but we're not going to rush LaMonte and put him at risk."
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