SF Giants 2B Thairo Estrada to begin minor league rehab assignment
The SF Giants are inching closer to getting second baseman Thairo Estrada back in a big-league uniform. Per a team press release, Estrada is slated to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday barring a late setback. Estrada has been out since he suffered a fractured left hand in early July.
SF Giants infielder Thairo Estrada touches second base in a game against the Rockies.
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
"He's going to take batting practice [Monday], and then he's going to hit off the velo machine. Assuming that all goes well, he's going to go out for a rehab assignment. We'll start with five innings on defense, likely, and a few at-bats. And then maybe the next day we'll have Thairo DH," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said prior to the team's game on Monday. "We'll reevaluate from there. Could be that we give him one more game after that, we give him a couple more games, depends on how his body feels and how he's performing."
Estrada was injured during the Giants' visit to Citi Field earlier this month. He was hit by a 92 mph sinker from Adam Ottavino. He's the second player on the Giants' roster to suffer a serious injury at the hands of a pitch, after Mitch Haniger, who suffered a forearm fracture during a game against the Cardinals.
The SF Giants have missed Thairo Estrada's All-Star caliber defense at second base and his offensive production. Since his injury, second base has been a revolving door of players, and none have managed to match the hole he left in the lineup. Before his injury, Estrada was slashing .272/.327/.434, and was one of the few members of the lineup who was not platooned.
