Bo Davidson’s push toward the SF Giants hit a snag this week, but the setback does not appear to be a serious one.
The Sacramento River Cats outfielder left a recent game after fouling a ball off his ankle, and the pain was severe enough that he had to be helped off the field. According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Davidson has a contusion and is being treated as day-to-day.
That’s the encouraging part. The injury does not sound like the kind of issue that should wipe out his season, and it avoids the kind of disaster that can follow a foul ball to the leg. Even so, the timing makes a promotion to San Francisco feel unlikely.
Davidson has done plenty to force the conversation. He is hitting .301/.380/.527 with nine home runs and 37 runs batted in, and he has 28 homers combined between Sacramento and Richmond this season. On paper, that looks like a player who has earned a shot.
But the roster math has never been on his side. The Giants already have a crowded group of left-handed outfielders, with Turner Hill, Drew Gilbert and Jung Hoo Lee all expected to see plenty of playing time. Victor Bericoto is also in the mix and currently on a rehab assignment.
That congestion leaves very little room for Davidson, even if the Giants had wanted to make a move. One possibility would have been to DFA Grant McCray and open up at-bats for Davidson, but consistent playing time would still have been difficult to guarantee.
The bigger picture also matters. Davidson will need to be added to the 40-man roster in the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, and that seems like the obvious move. The Giants will have to create space for him and several others once the season ends.
For now, with only 14 games left, it looks more sensible for the Giants to play it safe and let him recover. The injury probably closes the door on whatever small chance he had to force his way onto the roster late in the year.
Still, the expectation is that Davidson will be in the big leagues next season. If the Giants lean into their younger outfield options, his debut should come then rather than now.
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