Giants place catcher on seven-day concussion injured list

The Giants placed catcher Patrick Bailey on the seven-day injured list for concussion-related symptoms.  Blake Sabol was called up from Triple-A to take Bailey’s spot on the active roster.

Alec Bohm fouled a ball off Bailey’s mask in the first inning of San Francisco’s 4-3 loss to the Phillies yesterday. In a costly game for both teams, Trea Turner also suffered a hamstring strain that has resulted in an IL trip.  

Bailey tried to stay in the game, but in the next inning, he left the field and was replaced by Tom Murphy behind the plate. The Giants didn’t immediately place Bailey in concussion protocol, but the catcher did receive treatment and was announced as suffering from blurred vision.

The specialized seven-day version of the IL allows players and teams a little extra flexibility when dealing with potential concussions. If a player passes tests, he only has to miss seven days instead of the standard 10 days, and a team is likewise not left short-handed on its roster if a player is going day-to-day while dealing with any lingering symptoms. It also removes any inclination for the player to try and play through the symptoms, which carries increased danger given the nature of head-related injury.

In the best-case scenario, Bailey would be back in the Giants’ lineup in seven days’ time, though the team might be a little more careful with its franchise catcher given his past concussion history. As MLB.com’s Maria Guardado notes, Bailey has been playing wearing a Q-collar device for extra safety since he went on the seven-day IL last September, though he was able to return from that stint in a minimal amount of time.

After making his MLB debut last season, Bailey’s excellent defense established him as San Francisco’s catcher of the future, and he has taken some big steps forward at the plate in 2024. 

Bailey had a modest .233/.285/.359 slash line and seven homers over 353 plate appearances in 2023, but he has hit .278/.344/.456 with three home runs in his first 91 PA this season. With the Statcast numbers largely backing up this breakout, Bailey’s absence is an even bigger blow to a Giants lineup that is lacking in consistent production.

The combination of Murphy and Sabol will hold the fort at catcher until Bailey is back.  Murphy has posted some very good numbers in limited or part-time duty with the Mariners, but his bat has been cold so far in 2024, while Sabol is now set to receive his first MLB playing time of 2024. 

Sabol was a Rule 5 pick in 2022, and he spent the entire 2023 season on San Francisco’s roster, playing as a part-time catcher and left fielder. Sabol hit .235/.301/.394 with 13 home runs in 344 PA during his rookie season.