Injured Giants third baseman Matt Chapman said Friday that he’ll wear a splint on his right hand for one more week before possibly starting rehab exercises.
After being placed on the 10-day injured list on June 10 (retroactive to June 9) with right-hand inflammation, Chapman visited Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles. According to Chapman, the doctor was “pleasantly surprised” with how quickly he’s recovering.
While the Giants haven’t released a formal return timeline, Chapman estimated that he could be back in three to four weeks. In the meantime, Casey Schmitt is filling in at third base.
“It’s hard to put an exact date on it, but I’m doing everything I can to return as quickly as possible,” Chapman said. “The good news is I should be able to start doing some work in a week. We just have to monitor how the symptoms respond.
“That said, I want to be smart about this. When I come back, I want to be at full strength and able to help the team, not rush back and risk another setback.”
Manager Bob Melvin added, “Until he starts doing baseball activity, it’s tough to predict. But he’s always going to have an optimistic outlook.”
Chapman sustained the injury while sliding back to first base during a game against the Braves last Sunday at Oracle Park. He’s currently able to do lower-body workouts without issue and can do some upper-body work, as long as it doesn’t involve using his right hand.
“The tears are still there, and they’ll take time to heal,” Chapman said. “But Dr. Shin was encouraged by the hand’s strength and stability.”
To aid recovery, the Giants provided Chapman with a Game Ready Ice Machine.
“I pretty much sleep in it,” he joked.
While Chapman remains out, Schmitt has been handling third base and made an impact during the Giants’ two wins over the Rockies in Denver earlier this week. He homered to start a ninth-inning rally Tuesday, then drew a bases-loaded walk Wednesday during another comeback win.
However, Schmitt committed a key error Thursday in the ninth inning of an 8–7 loss, bobbling a double-play ball that would have ended the game. Two batters later, Orlando Arcia hit a walk-off, two-run single to prevent a Giants sweep.
Since taking over for Chapman, Schmitt is hitting .417 (5-for-12) with one home run, two walks, and three RBIs. After Thursday’s miscue, Chapman offered encouragement.
“It’s tough that it happened in the last inning and cost us the game, but he’s been hitting well, having strong at-bats, and making good plays,” Chapman said. “I’m just reminding him to keep pushing forward. He’s going to be at third for at least another few weeks.
“This is valuable experience for him. He’s going to be an important part of our team, even after I return. I think this stretch will help him grow.”
Be the first to comment