The San Francisco Giants received a sigh of relief regarding right-hander Landen Roupp, who exited Wednesday’s 8-1 loss to the San Diego Padres after suffering a left knee injury. Manager Bob Melvin confirmed doctors diagnosed Roupp with a bone bruise rather than a more severe injury, calling it good news, though the team placed the pitcher on the 15-day injured list with knee inflammation.
Initial fears of a ligament tear were eased following Thursday’s MRI in San Francisco, which revealed only a significant bone bruise. Melvin stressed that Roupp will seek additional medical opinions, but surgery does not appear necessary.
“Based on what we were seeing, we were kind of holding our breath,” San Francisco manager Bob Melvin said ahead of Friday night's matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers. “I think at least to this point, it's good news. It's just a bone bruise, but it's a pretty good bone bruise. It's not like he'll be back in a day or so.”
Roupp’s injury occurred in the third inning at Petco Park when San Diego’s Ramón Laureano lined a 95.7 mph comebacker that struck Roupp on his right leg. In his attempt to field the ball, Roupp’s left knee appeared to buckle, forcing him to collapse to the mound. Trainers rushed to help him as he grimaced in pain and briefly tried to stand before they carted him off the field wearing a knee brace. In just his second start back from the injured list after missing 19 games with right elbow inflammation, Roupp allowed five earned runs over 2 1/3 innings.
Roupp had emerged as a stabilizing presence in San Francisco’s rotation during his first full season as a starter. Through 22 starts in 2025, he holds a 7-7 record with a 3.80 ERA, 3.89 FIP, and 102 strikeouts across 106 2/3 innings. His absence is a major setback for a rotation that has been increasingly unstable behind veterans Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, and Justin Verlander.
The Giants’ pitching depth has thinned considerably in recent weeks. Hayden Birdsong and Kai-Wei Teng were both demoted after struggles at the big-league level, while Carson Whisenhunt was recalled Friday from Triple-A Sacramento to replace Roupp. Whisenhunt, 24, has logged a 1-1 record with a 5.02 ERA in three major league starts this year, alongside a 9-5 record and 4.37 ERA across 19 outings with Sacramento.
Roupp’s setback arrives at a difficult time for San Francisco. After three straight losses, the Giants sit at 61-67, six games under .500 for the first time in 2025, and trail the New York Mets by 6 1/2 games for the National League’s final Wild Card spot. With only 34 games remaining in the regular season, the Giants’ margin for error has evaporated.
