Longtime SF Giants shortstop headed to the injured list, David Villar recalled

The SF Giants have got some fantastic offensive and defensive production from the middle of their infield in 2023, but unfortunately, it appears the injury bug has struck, as yet another body will be headed to the Injured List.

Longtime SF Giants shortstop headed to the injured list, David Villar recalled

This time it's veteran Brandon Crawford, who got off to a slow start in 2023, but has rebounded nicely to again become a key piece of this lineup, but now he will head to the 10-day Injured List with left knee inflammation.

Despite that slow start, Crawford has bounced back with a .207 batting average along with 5 home runs and 26 RBI, and with his clutch hitting and elite defensive play, he's become the leader that the team needs.

With Thairo Estrada already on the Injured List, the Giants will now lean on the likes of Brett Wisely, Wilmer Flores and David Villar. Viller will get a chance to re-establish himself after beginning the year as the Opening Day third baseman. He has hit a rough patch since then.

Middle infield is popping up as an obvious area to upgrade at the trade deadline. While Casey Schmitt and Wisely are light on experience, they should be able to fill in capably in the middle infield.

Of course, the Giants could use more offensive production as both Schmitt and Wisely struggled with the bat. They have less than two weeks before the trade deadline to address this need.

In his 13th season at the MLB level, Crawford has been invaluable to the Giants organization, and with a young core coming through, he's been a great influence on the group, and while his play is no longer at the level it once was, he can still contribute in a big way when he gets healthy.

This will be Crawford's second stint on the injured list in 2023. When he returned from the injured list last time, the left-handed bat flashed a bit of a resurgence at the plate while notching several clutch hits. The Giants hope that they can catch lightning in a bottle this time around with the 36-year-old infielder.