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SF Giants OF Michael Conforto leaves game with injury

The SF Giants lifted outfielder Michael Conforto for a pinch-hitter in the top of the second inning after he suffered an injury during Wednesday's game.
Marc Delucchi|
SF Giants OF Michael Conforto leaves game with injury
SF Giants OF Michael Conforto leaves game with injury

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants lifted right fielder Michael Conforto for a pinch-hitter (Austin Slater) in the top of the second inning during Wednesday night's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Conforto had covered a lot of ground in the outfield during a five-run Blue Jays rally in the bottom of the first inning. Conforto looked to be in visible discomfort after ranging to his left to make a catch in foul territory and colliding with the wall. The Giants later told reporters that Conforto was removed with "left hamstring tightness."

On the season, Conforto has been a consistent contributor in the middle of the Giants lineup, hitting .236/.333/.422 with eight doubles and 12 home runs in 276 plate appearances. With outfielders Mitch Haniger and Mike Yastrzemski already on the injured list, the Giants are already down two veteran sluggers in their outfield. The team hopes to avoid needing to add Conforto to the list.

So far, Conforto has been the Giants' most productive offseason acquisition from this past winter. He missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing multiple shoulder surgeries, but the Giants still signed Conforto to a two-year, $36 million contract that includes a player opt-out after the first season. San Francisco's front office essentially bet close to $40 million on Conforto returning to his previous form.

Conforto has been incredibly streaky this season, perhaps in part due to minor calf and heel issues he's had at various points. Nevertheless, he has been a consistent contributor and looks a lot like the player he was early in his career with the New York Mets. Conforto has a career .253/.354/.464 triple-slash.

If Michael Conforto does end up landing on the injured list, the SF Giants do not necessarily need to add an outfielder since Slater, Luis Matos, Blake Sabol, and Bryce Johnson are already active (alongside experienced outfielders like Joc Pederson and LaMonte Wade Jr.). Assuming they went in that direction, the team could use that opening on the roster to activate starting pitcher Alex Cobb from the injured list.

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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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