San Francisco Giants Veteran Shortstop Shut Down With Knee Injury

San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford has been experiencing left knee discomfort and will be held out of baseball activities for a week during spring training, according to reports by Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com.

This development has raised concerns about his availability for the start of the regular season, which is just two and a half weeks away.

Giants say Brandon Crawford has some left knee discomfort, will not do baseball work for a week. He doesn’t really need much spring training but there’s also not a lot behind him on depth chart.

— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) March 13, 2023

Given Crawford's age, 36, and recent history of knee inflammation, it's possible that he may not be ready to start the season.

If he is unable to play, Thairo Estrada is likely to replace him as the starting shortstop.

Crawford's offensive production has also been on the decline, as he posted a .231/.308/.344 triple-slash line with a career-low .652 OPS, nine home runs, 52 RBI, and 50 runs scored in 458 plate appearances and 118 games in 2022.

The injuries and uncertain playing status of one of their veteran players add to the mounting concerns for the San Francisco Giants heading into the regular season. 

Crawford has long been one of the most durable players in the game, playing 140+ games each season from 2012 up until the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Photo Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports