Major League Baseball

Giants center fielder Duggar goes on DL with shoulder injury

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:18 p.m. ET

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Giants rookie center fielder Steven Duggar was placed on the disabled list Wednesday with a potential season-ending left shoulder injury a day after a hard, headfirst slide back into second base.

San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said after a 3-1 loss to Arizona that MRI results showed Duggar dislocated the shoulder and tore his labrum. Surgery was recommended, but no decision had been made. The club won't take any chances with the prized 24-year-old outfielder.

Duggar arrived at the ballpark Wednesday still very sore from the night before, when he wound up staying in the game and scoring the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 1-0 victory against the Diamondbacks.

"I'd like to be a bit hopeful here that it doesn't (end his year), but he showed up really sore today so obviously there's concern about that with the time left in the season," Bochy said. "I told Duggy that, I really liked where he was with his game. The defense you guys saw — he's exciting, the range he covers, the arm. Then with the bat, he really tightened up his swing, was throwing out good at-bats. You look at the last three games, he knocked in the winning runs and scored it yesterday. He was doing some really good things. The timing's really awful. That's why I feel for him because I think he was in a really good place."

Duggar was batting .255 with two homers, 11 doubles and 17 RBIs in 41 games since making his major league debut July 8.

"We'll make sure we do the right thing with him," Bochy said. "You don't want to take any risk here."

Giants outfielder Gregor Blanco was called up from Triple-A Sacramento and made a pinch-hit appearance in the series finale with the Diamondbacks. Gorkys Hernandez is expected to take the bulk of the playing time in center.

Also on Wednesday, right-hander Jeff Samardzija received a second opinion on his inflamed pitching shoulder from Dr. Tim McAdams at Stanford and it was advised the pitcher continue to rest the injury. There was no structural damage found but Samardzija's availability for the remainder of the season is in doubt based on the time he would need to build back up in his throwing program after the rest period, Bochy said.

The 33-year-old Samardzija is 1-5 with a 6.25 ERA in just 10 starts and 44 2/3 innings this year. Bochy won't guess when the pitcher might be able to throw a ball again.

"Looking at the timetable here where we're at in the season, I think you have to be honest and say it's doubtful," Bochy said of Samardzija pitching again in 2018.

All-Star catcher Buster Posey, who underwent season-ending right hip surgery Monday in Vail, Colorado, is scheduled to fly back to the Bay Area on Thursday. Bochy wasn't sure yet when Posey will be at the ballpark beginning his rehab.

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