The San Francisco Giants revealed a new injury for catcher Daniel Susac. Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that Susac suffered a fractured patella in his left knee.
Susac, 25, suffered the injury after fouling a ball off in the series finale against the Detroit Tigers. He finished the at-bat but was later removed from the game.
Susac joined the Giants as a Rule 5 pick out of the Athletics system. The Minnesota Twins selected the 25-year-old, then traded him to San Francisco for minor league catcher Miguel Caraballo and cash considerations.
The former first-rounder slashed .243/.289/.375 with three home runs and an 83 wRC+. His strong glove pushed his value to about 1.1 fWAR across 53 games and 161 plate appearances.
This marks the third time that Susac has hit the injured list this season. The rookie catcher missed 24 days with right elbow neuritis, then another three weeks to a lower back strain.
Giants Catcher Situation Following Daniel Susac Injury
GettyDaniel Susac’s first season with the Giants could be over after suffering a fractured left patella on a foul ball. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)
With Daniel Susac dealing with a fractured kneecap, the 25-year-old has been placed on the 10-day injured list. There isn’t an update on whether the rookie catcher will return to action again this season.
The Giants have called up catcher Zach Morgan, selected the 26-year-old from Triple-A Sacramento. They already had an open 40-man spot, which Morgan will fill.
The 26-year-old was a seventh-round pick by San Francisco in the 2022 MLB Draft. The right-handed-hitting catcher carries a .269/.369/.370 slash in 38 games between Double-A and Triple-A this season. His offense has been right around the league-average hitter, with a 102 wRC+.
As Pavlovic reported earlier, Jesus Rodriguez is not ready to return from his own injury (right elbow neuritis) just yet. Hence, the need to make a roster move. The injury leaves the Giants a bit short-handed at catcher in the immediate future.
Fellow rookie Drew Cavanaugh is in the Giants lineup at catcher. Until Rodriguez returns from his injury, it’s likely the club goes with a Cavanaugh-Morgan tandem at catcher.
What Does the Injury Mean for Daniel Susac’s Rule 5 Status
With just seven weeks left in the regular season, there isn’t much of a timeframe for Daniel Susac to return. With the Giants far from postseason contention, it makes more sense for the club to be cautious with their catcher.
Since Susac is a Rule 5 pick, he has to spend at least 90 days on the active roster. He barely slid past that requirement, as he was active for 92 days this season. Since Susac was on the roster long enough, the Giants officially own his rights through the offseason.
The good news for the Giants is they don’t have to worry about any Rule 5 stipulations in the offseason. With all three minor league options remaining, he wasn’t a candidate to be designated for assignment. But from that point forward, his minor league options now become a factor in roster decisions.
Given how well he played in a short stint this season, the Giants could sign a veteran catcher to pair up with Susac for the 2027 season.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Giants Get Tough Injury News on Daniel Susac Before Astros Series appeared first on HEAVY.