The regular season of first baseman Brandon Belt is over. On Tuesday, Belt was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a broken left thumb (retroactive to Monday) by the San Francisco Giants, who entered the day with a two-game lead in the National League West Division, which is still effective after today’s session.
If San Francisco wins the division, its first postseason game would be Oct. 8. The National League Wild Card Game is scheduled for October 6:
The worst-case scenario for the Giants is that Belt, who was hit with a 93 mph fastball while trying to touch the ball against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, will miss a significant chunk of the postseason, if not finished during the year.
In 2014, Belt broke the same thumb after being hit by a pitch, causing him to miss about eight weeks. Manager Gabe Kapler said a “wide range of dates” have been discussed regarding Belt’s recovery process, noting that it differs from player to player and case to case. Kapler said Belt will be reevaluated in a couple of weeks. At the moment there is no timetable for his return.
The loss of Belt, who ends the season with 29 home runs, the most of his career, cannot be overstated. When healthy, he has been one of the best first basemen in baseball. In recent weeks, he has arguably been the best.
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Returning from the disabled list on August 5, after missing two months with a right knee ailment, Belt played one of the best baseballs of his career. In his last 42 games, Belt is down .297 / .394 / .690 with 18 home runs. During that stretch, he posted a wRC + of 183, beaten only by Juan Soto of Washington (217), Bryce Harper of Philadelphia (202) and Paul Goldschmidt of St. Louis (194).
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