The San Francisco Giants are on the outside of the National League playoffs heading into Tuesday's action. Now, their infield is a little bit thinner. Andrew Baggart of The Athletic reports that Giants' infielder Wilmer Flores is out for the season with a quad injury.
Flores last played on July 23 and was placed on the injured list then. The news broke that he would be out for the season on Tuesday, which made for a poor birthday gift for Flores. He turned 33 on Tuesday.
Since the injury, shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald has been phenomenal at the plate. In those 13 games, he is hitting .340 with a 1.197 OPS, seven home runs and 13 RBI. The Giants need that production if they are to make the playoffs. Flores had not been providing that in 2024.
Giants need full injury recovery for Flores
This is Flores' fifth season with the Giants and by far his worst. He finishes his season with a .206 batting average and just four home runs and 26 RBI in 71 games. His OPS+ is 72, the first time it has finished under 100 since 2015 when he was with the Mets. Fans are hoping that the injury was bugging him all along and he can return to his prior form in 2025.
Flores has a player option for 2025 and considering his poor play and injury, he will likely remain with the Giants. If he comes back fully healthy, he will continue to be one of the best utility infielders in the league. Third baseman Matt Chapman has an option as well and Flores has played third base before. Look for Flores to get more consistent at-bats if Chapman goes elsewhere.
The Giants have just a 14% chance of making the playoffs, according to Fangraphs. That number will certainly take a hit without Flores, but their pitching staff is rounding into form. A recent no-hitter from Blake Snell and the return of Robby Ray make the Giants an intriguing team in the chase for the playoffs.
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