San Francisco Giants: Jeff Samardzija likely to open season on Disabled List

Originally thought to be diagnosed with a shoulder injury, a starter for the San Francisco Giants, Jeff Samardzija appears to be sidelined for a shorter time than expected.

The management of the San Francisco Giants must have released a collective sigh of relief when they found out their No. 3 starter, Jeff Samardzija is dealing with a strained pectoral muscle rather than a shoulder ailment.

The report, coming from MLB.com’s Chris Haft, detailed that ‘The Shark’ will most likely open the season on the disabled list, though the injury is less severe than previously thought.

If there was a reason for Samardzija’s poor spring, it makes much more sense now. The righty allowed 13 runs in 11 innings while issuing seven walk’s and allowing six home runs.

Luckily for the Giants, the rehab process won’t take too long, as The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly reported he’ll be rested for 10 days before he begins “cranking it up again.”

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The relatively short length of Samardzija’s anticipated absence is certainly good news for an organization that lacks reliable starting pitching depth. While the trio of Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto and Samardzija is a solid one, what’s beyond them is uncertain.

According to ESPN.com, former Texas Rangers starter and Giants’ non-roster invite Derek Holland is the most likely candidate to take Samardzija’s spot in the rotation. The 31-year-old allowed seven earned runs in 15 innings of work through two spring training starts.

Manager Bruce Bochy has repeated that the team isn’t going to look at free agents and instead focus on in-house options.

Chris Stratton and Ty Blach will round out the rotation. The Giants can’t afford another loss, as there are no immediate reinforcements from the minor leagues, either.

Of the Giants’ top ten prospects, just three are pitchers. Of the three, only Tyler Beede and Andrew Suarez have reached AAA. Beede, the 14th overall pick in the 2014 draft, saw his ERA balloon to 10.80 in spring training this season, virtually eliminating his hopes for a spot in the rotation.

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Samardzija’s loss is a rather big blow to the Giants, who added big names like Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen with hopes to contend after the disaster that was the 2017 season.