SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — Opening Day is less than a month away, and the Giants find themselves with a handful of injuries to manage.
First baseman Rafael Devers, who was scratched from Friday’s lineup, will be withheld from all baseball activity until at least early next week as he deals with left hamstring tightness. Center fielder Harrison Bader, who exited Friday’s game after one at-bat with a right thumb contusion, won’t hit until Monday.
Additionally, outfielder Drew Gilbert won’t throw again for the next five to seven days because of a left shoulder impingement. Left-hander Erik Miller will only throw on flat ground for the next few days because of lower back tightness, but is scheduled to return to the mound in the middle of next week.
In a more positive development, right-handed reliever Joel Peguero said he felt good after a bullpen session on Friday, and is scheduled to make his first appearance of Cactus League play next week.
Devers, 29, dealt with back and groin ailments last season but still didn’t miss a game with the Red Sox or after he was traded to the Giants.“He showed up early to camp, showed up in good shape,” said manager Tony Vitello of Devers. “He’s put in a lot of work. … I would lean further towards the four days, but I think he’s in a pretty good spot in my own unprofessional opinion, so that’s why it could be as short as two days, but because of the things he’s done leading up to it, might as well make sure that’s well in the rearview mirror before we move forward.”
Following Friday’s 12-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, Vitello said Bader had been dealing with the right thumb ailment for a couple of days. The Giants let Bader start on Friday but removed him after he grounded out in the bottom of the first inning.
Bader committed to playing in the upcoming World Baseball Classic for Team Israel, which has its first game of pool play on March 7 against Luis Arraez, José Buttó and Team Venezuela in Miami. The 31-year-old outfielder will soon leave for the tournament, and it is currently unclear whether this injury will prevent him from playing.
“We’re all getting to know the guy, and now we all know he’s always going to want to go and he’s always going to want to push through things,” Vitello said. “It’s nice for us to be aggressive and put up a stop sign for a couple of days. I don’t want to say this too dramatically, but he’ll be with them, not us, so they’re kind of in charge. He’s in charge of his career, ultimately, so there will be some conversations with those guys and him.”
It’s possible that both Miller and fellow left-hander Sam Hentges (left shoulder) will not be ready for Opening Day. Hentges, 29, also has yet to appear in a Cactus League game and missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing shoulder and knee surgeries.Left-hander Matt Gage, who made 27 appearances with the Giants last season after he was released by the Tigers, already had a strong chance of making the team out of camp, and if Miller isn’t ready for the start of the season, perhaps a roster spot opens for left-hander Reiver Sanmartin, who will pitch for Colombia in the World Baseball Classic.
