Major League Baseball

Scutaro: Hip strain, likely to play

Published Oct. 16, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro is expected to play Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals after injuring his hip during Game 2 of the NL championship series.

San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday there is a ''good chance'' Scutaro will play in Game 3. The best-of-seven series is tied at one apiece.

Bochy said Scutaro is ''doing fine,'' along with first base coach Roberto Kelly, who sustained a concussion during batting practice Saturday when he was hit by a ball off the bat of Buster Posey. Kelly missed Games 1 and 2 but traveled with the team to St. Louis on Tuesday, Bochy said.

''Marco and Roberto are with us and doing fine,'' Bochy said. ''Good chance Marco can go tomorrow.''

Scutaro strained his left hip when Cardinals slugger Matt Holliday crashed into him with a hard slide in Game 2 on Monday night at AT&T Park. Scutaro had an MRI exam after the game. X-rays were negative.

Scutaro went down in the first inning of the Giants' 7-1 win, then hit a two-run single in the fourth before coming out of the game after the fifth inning.

Following the game, Bochy said: ''I really think they got away with an illegal slide there.''

The Giants arrived at Busch Stadium on Tuesday night to prepare.

Bochy said Scutaro would likely play if he feels fine Wednesday.

''We're being hopeful he can go. The MRI did show a left hip strain and contusion,'' Bochy said. ''His left knee's a little sore. He'll get treatment and we'll see where he is tomorrow. ... It's going to affect his hitting, too, if he's not quite right. I will say he's more optimistic about where he's at right now than when it first happened.''

Scutaro is batting .250 (7 for 28) with three RBIs this postseason. The 36-year-old infielder was among the Giants' most steady players down the stretch as the club won its second NL West crown in three seasons. Acquired from the Colorado Rockies on July 27, he hit .306 with seven home runs and 74 RBIs overall this season.

''He's been very instrumental in what we've done as a group ever since he's come over here,'' said Matt Cain, San Francisco's Game 3 starter. ''He's really helped us out. What he's done with the bat has really picked us up a lot. He's driven in a lot of two-out runs, and gotten rallies going for us as well. He's been really, really big for us.''

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball