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San Francisco Giants Mailbag: Injuries, Sandoval, Bumgarner

By Maggie Pilloton

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Apr 7, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt (9) is examined by a trainer before leaving the game during the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Jamie informed me that the always sneaky auto-correct function on her smartphone prevented her from asking the question, “Are the injuries spooking them?” Thanks for the clarification, Jamie.

I don’t know if I’d necessarily describe the effects of the injuries as spooking the Giants, but I would say that they’re a significant reason why the Giants are struggling right now.

The Giants have had to play several games this season without some key regular players such as Brandon Belt, Casey McGehee, and Hunter Pence. At the beginning of the season, a team needs to get into a rhythm and find an offensive groove, and that’s hard to do without important players like those three players.

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    • I don’t think injuries are necessarily getting into the minds of the Giants players and making them less confident, but I do believe that the injuries are preventing the Giants from gaining some chemistry and momentum on both defense and offense, which is so important at the beginning of the season, for the Giants, specifically, and since there are a couple new key contributors to the team.

    With that being said, I believe that injuries are the main setback for the Giants right now. Once these players are healthy, they’ll be able to find more consistency and comfort with the new starting lineup and with the regulars back in action.

    Yes, the Giants lack some power, but they’ve proven they can win without it. The Giants’ other main concern right now is starting pitching, but that is also somewhat due to injuries, as Jake Peavy has been dealing with back pain and Matt Cain is still on the DL. This is causing the Giants to use their long relievers more than expected at the beginning of the season, which is raising more concerns for the starting rotation. It’s a cyclical process.

    In addition, some of the starters, such as Tim Hudson and Lincecum (in addition to Cain), were recovering from surgeries or dealing with various injuries in Spring Training, which could mean they’re still getting into pitching shape and finding a rhythm. This could suggest why some of the starters are not that sharp right now.

    As seen in that example too, a lot of this comes back to injuries or possibly fatigue, which also relates back to injuries.

    Next: Will Giants Fans Ever Want Sandoval Back?

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