Per San Francisco Giants insider Alex Pavlovic, catcher Patrick Bailey has been placed on the injured list with a neck strain.
The 10-day IL stint is retroactive to June 8th. His earliest return would come during their homestand, beginning with a series against the Cleveland Guardians. He will miss the road trip against division opponents Colorado and Los Angeles.
It’s unfortunate timing for San Francisco as they just placed Matt Chapman on the IL with a hand injury. New Giant Andrew Knizner will take most of the reps behind the plate but is 0-for-9 in three starts this season.
Bailey, the reigning National League Gold Glover behind the dish, has struggled with the bat this season. The switch hitter is batting .185 with a .517 OPS and just one home run. It’s possible that the Giants wanted an opportunity to give him some rest to get his mind right alongside the injury.
One benefit is that the move allows them to get a look at Knizner and Logan Porter. Porter, 29, is batting .237 with a .669 OPS in Triple-A this season, so there could be some untapped upside there.
