Matt Chapman IL stint creates golden opportunity for SF Giants infielder

The SF Giants have placed third baseman Matt Chapman on the 10-day IL with a hand injury. With him on the shelf, infielder Christian Koss now has a golden opportunity to earn himself a spot on the roster in 2026.

Chapman's injury news is unfortunate. It comes shortly after manager Bob Melvin threw cold water on the idea of a day off for Chapman, but it would not be a surprise if he was fighting this injury for some time as he has been struggling at the plate as of late.

SF Giants infielder Christian Koss has golden opportunity after Chapman injury

With the season all but lost, it is best to be safe rather than sorry with a player as important as Chapman. He should not be out there if there is any fear he could further injure himself especially since the playoffs are nothing more than a mirage at this point.

Casey Schmitt, who has been the one bright spot on the team as of late, figures to see the lion's share of time at third base. He has proven he is a great defender at the hot corner and his hot bat is going to keep him in the lineup for awhile and likely gives him the inside track to be the starting second baseman next season.

Even if Schmitt is running away with the second base competition, Koss still has a golden opportunity to secure a spot on next year's roster as a utility infielder.

He has put up good numbers this season, slashing .252/.292/.360 with three homers and 15 runs batted in. Those numbers do not fly off the page, but when you couple them with the above-average speed and defense Koss brings to the table, they are more than respectable for a bench player. Plus, he has unfortunately been able to show off his skills on the mound in blowout losses as of late.

With Schmitt moving from second base to third to cover for Chapman, Koss is going to see a lot of time at second base the next week or two. If he does well at the plate and continues to play good defense he is going to put himself in a very good spot heading into 2026.

Coming into this season, it seemed highly unlikely that Koss was going to make the team out of spring training. Yet, he turned a lot of heads with his performance in spring and earned a spot on the team. He has proved that was a wise decision as he has done a nice job filling in as needed throughout the season.

Maybe he could establish himself as a sort of Joaquín Árias-type player who can play anywhere in the infield and is a consistent and solid bench player for the team. Chapman's injury gives him a chance to prove he is that type of player.

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