The San Francisco Giants’ injury pile kept growing Tuesday night, and this time it hit the pitching staff again.
Adrian Houser left the game against the Cincinnati Reds after feeling discomfort in his throwing arm. He was seen shaking and flexing his right arm after striking out Matt McLain in the second inning, and his velocity had already dipped from the first inning before catcher Drew Cavanaugh and the Giants’ training staff came out to check on him.
That made it two straight nights without a starting pitcher finishing the job for San Francisco. On Monday evening, Carson Whisenhunt exited the mound with an elbow injury.
The timing could hardly have been worse, because the Giants had already received devastating news on Whisenhunt’s condition. An MRI showed a torn UCL, according to Alex Pavlovic from NBC Sports Bay Area. The 25-year-old has had surgery recommended, and while he will likely consider all of his options, Tommy John surgery appears likely and could cost him the entire 2027 season.
Whisenhunt had been making real progress before the injury stopped him cold. He made eight starts for San Francisco, and his work was beginning to show on the field when the injury hit.
Now the Giants are staring at a bigger problem than simply replacing him for the rest of this season. They may have to plan without him next year, too.
This is hardly unfamiliar territory for the organization. Hayden Birdsong had Tommy John surgery in March.
Trevor McDonald underwent the same procedure earlier this month. Randy Rodriguez and Rowan Wick are also working their way back from Tommy John surgeries.
And the bad news isn’t limited to the rotation.
Willy Adames went on the IL Monday after suffering a moderate UCL sprain in his left elbow while sliding into home plate, and manager Tony Vitello said surgery had not been ruled out. Victor Bericoto and JT Brubaker also landed on the IL Monday with a knee bone bruise and bruised ribs, respectively.
Elsewhere on the roster, Matt Chapman had season-ending core muscle surgery earlier this month. Casey Schmitt had knee surgery in July. Marcelo Mayer’s rehab has been interrupted by a right foot bone bruise.
At this point, keeping track of who is healthy may be the easier task around the Giants.
In Other News...
Giants Injury Crisis Could Force A Veteran Move Fans Didn't Expect
The Giants have spent much of the 2026 season piecing together a roster that has been battered on both sides of the ball, with injuries hitting position players and pitchers alike. In response, the front office has already cycled through plenty of roster moves just to keep the club afloat, and now the search for help appears to be widening beyond the usual internal fixes.
Among the veteran names being discussed are Eugenio Surez, Michael Lorenzen, Zack Littell and Austin Slater, a group that would give San Francisco more depth and flexibility as the injury problems continue. It is the kind of backup plan teams rarely want to lean on for long, but for a Giants club trying to stabilize the daily lineup and the pitching staff at the same time, the need for reinforcements is becoming impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Infield Shuffle Could Mean More Than A Buddy Kennedy Exit
Bryce Eldridge is back with the Giants after a brief stay on the bereavement list, and the roster move that made room for him sent Buddy Kennedy off the 40-man roster. It is the kind of infield shuffle that can look routine on the surface, especially for a player like Kennedy, who has hit much better in Triple-A than he has in the majors and has spent much of this season fighting for a foothold.
The wrinkle for San Francisco is what comes next, because Kennedy has already used up his option years and now has to go through waivers. If another club claims him, the Giants lose a depth piece they clearly had room for only in the short term; if he gets through, his past outright assignments give him the ability to choose free agency, leaving his future tied to a process the Giants cannot fully control. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Already Have One Painful Question About That Red Sox Trade
The early returns on the Red Sox-Giants swap have been impossible to ignore from San Franciscos side. Marcelo Mayer still has not made his Giants debut because of injury, while Erik Miller has settled quickly into Bostons bullpen and has not allowed an earned run in his first 10 appearances. For a deal built around a high-upside prospect and immediate major league help, the contrast has been stark enough to make the trade feel like a live conversation rather than a finished transaction.
Millers underlying numbers have only sharpened the point, with a strong FIP and a strikeout rate that suggest the Red Sox may have found a real late-inning arm. Add in three more seasons of team control, and Bostons end of the deal suddenly looks even more valuable if Miller keeps pitching this way. For the Giants, the question now is whether Mayer can get on the field soon enough to keep this from becoming the kind of trade that looks harder to defend with every passing week. [Read more 🡒]