San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey was a late scratch from Tuesday night's game against the Colorado Rockies after suffering a nerve irritation in his back.
John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle noted the Giants are currently deeming this a short-term injury:
Posey, 27, was in the lineup and played the entire game in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Miami Marlins. He went 0-for-3 with one run batted in, dropping him to 2-for-20 over his last six games. Speaking with the media prior to Tuesday night's game, Posey said the injury happened on a swing Sunday and is nothing "super serious," per Alex Pavlovic of The Mercury News.
Pavlovic added that he may even be used on Tuesday night:
At this time, he's only expected to miss a couple days. The Giants are in Colorado for the first of a three-game set before traveling back home to play the Minnesota Twins over the weekend.
Posey was replaced in the lineup Tuesday with Hector Sanchez, who will probably see everyday action until the former returns. San Francisco does not currently carry a third catcher on the roster. Barring a stint on the disabled list, it would be a misappropriation of assets to bring someone up for one series.
Sanchez has already played in 27 games this season, hitting .288/.324/.455 with two home runs and 16 RBI. The 24-year-old has been a surprising bright spot in a San Francisco lineup that currently sits No. 22 in batting average.
It will nonetheless be impossible to replace the production of Posey—even if he's struggling. Posey's recent down stretch has dropped him to a .278/.369/.444 slashline, but he's key protection in the middle of the Giants' lineup. His seven home runs and 23 RBI are tied for third and second on the team, respectively.
The Giants, in typical even-year fashion, are off to a 28-17 start and lead the NL West by three games. San Francisco won the World Series in 2010 and 2012, so it is attempting to be the Bay Area's version of the San Antonio Spurs, who dominated the NBA's odd seasons in the early-2000s. Given that Posey's injury is minor, this will do little to alter that trajectory.
Still, it gives Colorado a much better chance at tying up the division with a home sweep.
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