The San Francisco Giants, in a tight battle for a National League wild-card berth, sustained a potentially damaging blow Thursday when right fielder Mike Yastrzemski left the field due to an injury.
Yastrzemski came out of the Giants’ 6-4 win over the Seattle Mariners in San Francisco. The club later announced he was dealing with a tight right calf and that he would undergo an MRI exam Friday.
The second-year player has been one of the Giants’ most productive hitters this season (.285 average, nine homers, .949 OPS). With just 10 days remaining in the regular season — and 11 games to play in that time — any absence could hurt the team’s playoff chances.
His replacement Thursday was rookie Luis Basabe, who had just one career plate appearance before the game.
As Yastrzemski struck out swinging in the top of the first inning, he stepped a little gingerly, flexing his knee, and in the bottom half of the inning made a long run for a foul ball.
In the top of the third, Basabe pinch-hit for him, then played the rest of the game in right field, helping the Giants rally from a 4-1 deficit. Basabe got his first major league hit and scored two runs.