Well, it is an odd year. For the Giants, that’s literal and figurative, and 2017 might be the odd year that really makes them pay for the even years.
On Friday afternoon, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that ace pitcher Madison Bumgarner will head to the 10-day disabled list after sustaining bruised ribs and a left-shoulder sprain in a dirt bike accident, further souring an already rough start to the Giants season. San Francisco is last in the NL West at 6-10, and Bumgarner was 0-3 despite a 3.00 ERA and 28 strikeouts (just 4 walks) through 4 starts.
The Giants today placed left-handed pitcher Madison Bumgarner on the disabled list with bruised ribs and a grade… https://t.co/l0gT4G4NoA
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) April 21, 2017
The accident put Bumgarner in the hospital, but he has since been released and is resting at the team hotel. The team will reevaluate him next week. Known for his durability, Bumgarner had never been on the disabled list until today. While off days in baseball are coveted, maybe going dirt biking wasn’t the best decision for MadBum.
Weirdly enough, this type of injury isn’t totally foreign to Giants fans. In 2002, second baseman Jeff Kent broke his wrist crashing his motorcycle while trying to perform a wheelie.
Source: Expectation is that #SFGiants’ Bumgarner will be out 6 to 8 weeks.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) April 21, 2017
Rosenthal later reported Bumgarner is expected to miss six to eight weeks, which would put him out until at least early June. That’s not ideal for a team without a ton of rotation depth. The Giants still have one of baseball’s better arms in righty Johnny Cueto, along with the struggling duo of Matt Moore and Jeff Samardzija. Options for spot starts include prospect Tyler Beede and current reliever Ty Blach, who made two starts last season.
In his last start, Bumgarner gave up one run in six innings against the Royals, but Jason Vargas and the Kansas City bullpen shut the Giants out. Poor run support has been a theme for Bumgarner this year, as San Francisco has scored two total runs in his last three starts. On top of pitching, Bumgarner is also a legitimate hitter, batting .286 with a pair of home runs, both of which came on Opening Day.
Bumgarner was slated to go up against three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers on Tuesday.
