The San Francisco Giants have been dealt a major blow heading into their final six games.
On Sunday, as the Giants led the Rockies 2-1 in the top of the seventh, Belt was hit on the hand with a 93 MPH fastball while attempting to bunt. Belt immediately dropped the bat and clutched his thumb.
The first baseman exited the game in the bottom half of the inning and was replaced at first by Wilmer Flores.
The 33-year-old Belt has had a resurgent year, hitting .274 with 29 home runs, 59 RBI’s, and a .975 OPS.
It was announced yesterday that Belt had a fracture in his left thumb. As of now, there is no timetable for Belt’s return. He’ll meet with team doctors to try and develop a recovery plan.
This is a big loss for the Giants. Belt has been one of the team’s key contributors this season. Any time without him may hurt their chances at making a deep run into October.
The Giants still do have the best record in all of baseball and lead the NL West over the Dodgers by two games.
Though losing Belt hurts, it doesn’t mean that San Francisco is doomed. A major part of what has made the Giants so successful this season is their depth. They could simply do what they did in Sunday’s game, and give Flores some opportunities at first. They could even continue their trend of platooning players. They could have Flores get the starts against left-handed pitchers, while LaMonte Wade Jr. gets the starts against righties.
Another thing they could do is put Evan Longoria at first while moving Kris Bryant from the outfield to third base. They also have Steven Duggar, Alex Dickerson, and Austin Slater they could plug into one of the outfield spots if need be.
The Giants are still in prime position to win the NL West. They’ve already won 102 games and their magic number to clinch sits at five. They’ll just have to do it without Belt for the time being, as his status for the postseason is very much up in the air.
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