SAN FRANCISCO — As if the Giants’ season couldn’t become more cursed.
Luis Arraez, one of the few bright spots and San Francisco’s top trade chip, fouled a ball off his shin Tuesday night and was forced to exit the Giants’ series opener against the A’s.
The team did not provide an immediate update on the severity of the injury.
Arraez was wearing a shin guard in his first-inning at-bat against Aaron Civale, but the ricochet off his bat apparently missed the protective gear as the Giants’ second baseman was clearly in pain. The game was paused while a trainer and manager Tony Vitello checked on him.
Arraez, however, initially remained in the game. He finished the at-bat, flying out to left, but had a noticeable limp as he made his way up the first base line.
He remained in the game until the top of the fifth, when he was replaced at second base by Casey Schmitt, who started the game in left field.
An injury to Arraez couldn’t have come at a worse time, just over a month out from MLB’s trade deadline. The Giants, 15 games below .500 entering Tuesday, are obvious sellers, and with Arreaz’s stellar two-way play on a one-year deal, he is a clear candidate to be moved.
Not only has the three-time batting champ reclaimed his position among the league’s best hitters for average, the notoriously poor defender has been a revelation at second base.
The combination of those qualities could entice a contender to part with a considerable package of prospects to acquire his services for the stretch run. The bloated contracts and underperformance of the Giants’ other trade candidates means Arraez could net them a better return than Matt Chapman, Willy Adames or Rafael Devers.
But, if X-Rays reveal the worst, the Giants may not get the chance to cash in.