The San Francisco Giants‘ season has not gone to plan. Despite winning the series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, the Giants were hit with more brutal injury news.
Manager Tony Vitello told reporters before their series against the Padres on Thursday that Opening Day starting center fielder Harrison Bader will not return this season.
“Tony Vitello said Harrison Bader won’t return this season, but apparently that was the case because of the plantar fasciitis anyway,” Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area wrote. “No new details on the new (scooter-related) injury. Vitello said the front office is sorting through that.”
Giants’ Harrison Bader Injury Timeline
The outfielder has not played a game for San Francisco since May 29 after suffering a foot injury. But it was announced that Bader faced a setback in his foot injury due to a scooter accident.
Alex Pavlovic shared the bizarre setback for Bader.
“The update on Harrison Bader is a bizarre one,” Pavlovic wrote. “He went to see a specialist for his plantar fasciitis, but the Giants announced that he had a scooter accident ‘on Saturday night/early Sunday morning’ and further injured that left foot. He will now get an MRI for the new injury.”
More details about the 32-year-old’s scooter accident arose on Thursday, Jul. 30.
“Sources have told SFist that the scooter crash actually occurred in the Cow Hollow area around closing time at the bars, around 1:50 am on Sunday, July 26, in the vicinity of Balboa Cafe at Greenwich and Fillmore streets,” according to Dave Tobener of SF Gate. “According to a witness, Bader‘s scooter crashed into the back of a San Francisco Fire Department fire engine (SFFD Station 16 is on that block), the wheel of which then rolled over his foot, causing major injury.”
Bader only played 30 games with the Giants this season before his season-ending foot plantar fasciitis.
GettyHarrison Bader of the San Francisco Giants.
Looking Back at Giants Signing Harrison Bader This Offseason
The San Francisco Giants signed Harrison Bader to a 2-year, $20.5 million contract this offseason to help shore up their outfield defense. The move pushed Jung Hoo Lee, who started in center field the last two seasons, to right field.
Bader is a former Gold Glove winner and was the Giants’ Opening Day center fielder. After hitting a career-high .277 batting average with the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies in 2025, Bader struggled from the jump with San Francisco.
He slashed .170/.198/.358 and recorded 5 home runs and 14 RBIs in 30 games with the Giants.
Safe to say, this offseason signing hasn’t panned out for the Giants.
GettyKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JULY 22: Drew Gilbert #0 of the San Francisco Giants is unable to make a diving catch during the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on July 22, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)
Who Could Replace Bader For the Rest of This Season?
25-year-old Drew Gilbert has received the majority of starts in center field since Bader’s absence. The Tennessee product has struggled at the plate but has made some nifty plays in the outfield.
He is slashing .237/.323/.356 and has 4 home runs and 21 RBIs in 85 games this year. Gilbert is still young and could develop into a solid MLB player.
San Francisco also gave opportunities to 24-year-old Jonah Cox. The speedster got the rare call-up from Double-A Richmond to the MLB. He played 20 games, starting 8 before getting injured. Cox has 7 hits in 26 at-bats with the Giants this season.
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