Though the Giants weren't expected to officially announce the full extent of catcher Buster Posey's left ankle injury until later Thursday morning, the worst appears possible: A fracture and torn ligaments, which surely will sideline the National League's reigning Rookie of the Year for the entire season.
Club sources didn't explicitly divulge Posey's condition, which won't become fully known until he undergoes a MRI. But multiple insiders did speak of Posey's ankle with an absence of hope. Initially, the Giants had feared that Posey had sustained either a fracture or torn ligaments.
Posey, 24, was hurt during Wednesday night's 12th inning as he absorbed a home-plate collision with Florida's Scott Cousins, who scored the tiebreaking run in the Marlins' 7-6 victory.
In an attempt to compensate for the loss of Posey's bat, the Giants have recalled first baseman/outfielder Brandon Belt from Triple-A Fresno. They also have purchased the contracts of infielder Brandon Crawford from Class A San Jose and catcher Chris Stewart from Triple-A Fresno while placing infielder Mike Fontenot (groin) and outfielder Darren Ford (ankle) on the 15-day disabled list.
The Giants must confront the reality of trying to remain in first place in the NL West and defend their World Series triumph without their most important player. Posey not only steered San Francisco's pitching staff while playing nearly every day but also occupied the cleanup spot in an offensively challenged batting order. Though the Giants ranked last in the NL in scoring entering Wednesday, Posey had begun to find his form, lengthening his hitting streak to 13 games three innings before he was hurt.
Third baseman Pablo Sandoval, himself sidelined for at least two more weeks as he recovers from surgery to remove a fractured hamate bone in his right hand, sent a message on his Twitter account that lacked punctuation but was laden with emotion: "Good morning I feel so bad because we lost buster for rest of the season it's gonna be hard without him".
Eli Whiteside, Posey's backup, will become the No. 1 catcher. The Giants are expected to purchase the contract of Major League veteran Chris Stewart from Triple-A Fresno to add catching depth.
Club sources didn't explicitly divulge Posey's condition, which won't become fully known until he undergoes a MRI. But multiple insiders did speak of Posey's ankle with an absence of hope. Initially, the Giants had feared that Posey had sustained either a fracture or torn ligaments.
Posey, 24, was hurt during Wednesday night's 12th inning as he absorbed a home-plate collision with Florida's Scott Cousins, who scored the tiebreaking run in the Marlins' 7-6 victory.
In an attempt to compensate for the loss of Posey's bat, the Giants have recalled first baseman/outfielder Brandon Belt from Triple-A Fresno. They also have purchased the contracts of infielder Brandon Crawford from Class A San Jose and catcher Chris Stewart from Triple-A Fresno while placing infielder Mike Fontenot (groin) and outfielder Darren Ford (ankle) on the 15-day disabled list.
The Giants must confront the reality of trying to remain in first place in the NL West and defend their World Series triumph without their most important player. Posey not only steered San Francisco's pitching staff while playing nearly every day but also occupied the cleanup spot in an offensively challenged batting order. Though the Giants ranked last in the NL in scoring entering Wednesday, Posey had begun to find his form, lengthening his hitting streak to 13 games three innings before he was hurt.
Eli Whiteside, Posey's backup, will become the No. 1 catcher. The Giants are expected to purchase the contract of Major League veteran Chris Stewart from Triple-A Fresno to add catching depth.
