Giants’ Lee to get second opinion on ‘structural damage’ to shoulder originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — Bob Melvin sat in the dugout Tuesday afternoon and said he didn’t have the answers reporters were looking for. But a Giants press release could have said it all.
Just minutes before Melvin was set to give injury and roster updates for what seemed like an eternity, the Giants announced that Jung Hoo Lee’s MRI revealed structural damage to your left shoulder. The outfielder will travel to Los Angeles to get a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache, and the Giants said updates on treatment options will be provided on Friday.
The organization is trying to remain optimistic, and as Lee mingled with his teammates in the afternoon, he did his best to put on a happy face. But Dr. ElAttrache is one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the world, and a visit to his office rarely brings good news.
Melvin said he could not disclose what the first diagnosis was. He declined to know whether surgery seemed likely.
“I wish I had more information for you, but I don’t,” he said.
At the very least, the Giants know they will be without their center fielder for much of the rest of the season. The worst case would be season-ending surgery, which would raise concerns that some players would take years to fully recover from the procedure.
For now, the Giants are betting on Luis Matos in center field. He hit a three-run homer on Monday but had a shaky night defensively. Melvin said Mike Yastrzemski is an option in the game’s shifts, but the preference is to leave him in right field, where he is one of the best in the game.
“Right field is a lot harder to play here than center field,” Melvin said. “There are only 391 [feet] in center field. We are listening [Matos] It goes back to the ball better than in, so we have to set up where we think is the best place to play it. I’m not sure he had the best bounce on that ball [Monday], but it was his first game here in a while. Right field is really tough here and Yaz plays as well as anyone.”
Help is on the way
Blake Snell rehabilitation will begin with the Sacramento River Cats on Friday and then return to the big league rotation. Snell has been sidelined since April 24 with an adductor strain, but felt good in rehab in San Jose on Sunday.
The Giants will have a short game until Snell returns, as they have off days on Thursday and Monday. Mason Black, a two-time starter, was optioned to Triple-A on Monday, with Nick Avila returning as bullpen depth.
Moving quickly
Two first-round picks, Hunter Bishop and Reggie Crawford, joined Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday, although they followed different paths there.
Crawford is on the right track and was promoted after just 9 2/3 innings with Double-A Richmond. He gave up five runs on five hits and five walks, but also struck out 19. With a left-handed fastball in the upper 90s and a sharp slider, Double-A hitters were having a hard time recovering, and the Giants now take a look at his repertoire against more advanced hitters.
The Giants just want their 2022 first-rounder to stay healthy and get reps, but it seems like at least a chance he could be called up this summer. Crawford has pitched in short stints as a reliever as he is on an innings restriction this year.
Like Crawford, Bishop underwent Tommy John surgery and was promoted after just a month at Double-A. Bishop had a .652 OPS at Double-A, but the Giants have been desperate for outfielders at the Triple-A level since Matos and Heliot Ramos were promoted and Wade Meckler is out injured. This is the first Triple-A stint for Bishop, who was the organization’s first-round pick in 2019.
