Blake Snell’s rocky start in San Francisco continued Wednesday when the Giants placed the left-hander on the injured list with a strained adductor muscle in his left groin. The move is retroactive to Tuesday, and Snell is eligible to be activated May 8, but manager Bob Melvin suggested the absence could extend beyond the minimum time. Snell’s injury is the latest setback for the Giants, who have lost four in a row and are now 11-16 on the season. The Giants have two off days before Snell is eligible to return, and they could potentially only need to fill one more of his turns in the rotation. After Thursday’s day off, the Giants have Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks and Keaton Winn lined up to start the final three games of their home stand against the Pirates, all on an extra day of rest. With another day off Monday before their series in Boston, all three could pitch again on regular rest after Logan Webb before Snell’s turn. Melvin said that Mason Black, who has a 1.53 ERA in four starts at Triple-A Sacramento, is “definitely an option” to replace Snell in the rotation, but that he’s not sure where the Giants will go with that yet. For their immediate needs Wednesday, the bullpen was well-positioned to take down an entire game after Logan Webb tossed eight scoreless innings the previous night. In addition to Roupp, newcomer Mitch White and Sean Hjelle are capable of pitching multiple innings. Walker was happy to reclaim the opener role, which he performed 13 times last season with a 2.21 ERA. He said he was informed Tuesday night that he would be starting Wednesday’s game. “I don’t expect him to throw more than six or seven innings today,” Melvin joked of his opener after Webb’s gem. “It’s gonna look a little different. He’s had experience and he’s done really well in that role. So it’s not unfamiliar to him.” The Giants will hope that Snell’s injury is not a serious one, and that he can return to the rotation soon. The Giants have struggled to get consistent production from their starting pitchers this season, and they need Snell to be a key part of their rotation if they want to contend for a playoff spot.
Giants Place Snell on Injured List, Rocky Start Continues
